


Neutral Ground

by skargasm



Series: Ground Series [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Jennifer Blake is the Darach, Left Hand Peter Hale, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Nogitsune, Pack Feels, Past Laura Hale/Kate Argent, Possession, The Alpha Pack, The Hale Pack - Freeform, True Alpha, True Alpha Scott McCall (Teen Wolf)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:35:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 24,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24050689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skargasm/pseuds/skargasm
Summary: If he hadn’t experienced it for himself, Stiles wouldn’t believe that any of it had happened. Peter and Derek have left Beacon Hills, his father is recovering from his gunshot wound, and life should be returning to normal.But then Scott is bitten by an Alpha and the Hales return to track the werewolf down. Stiles has to deal with helping his best friend handle the major changes to his life, as well as face the man who he’s pretty sure he’s in love with – a man who betrayed him and left him behind. Is he ever gonna catch a break?
Relationships: Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Jennifer Blake/Kali, Laura Hale/Kali, Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Ground Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1733755
Comments: 230
Kudos: 322





	1. Chapter 1

“You gotta admit, though, Stiles – she is incredibly pretty!” Stiles gave a heavy sigh before turning to his best friend in the whole world. 

“Scott – if I have to listen to another monologue about how pretty Allison is, and how gorgeous her dimples look, and how she ducks her head just before she looks up and smiles at you, I may just throw up. All over you.”

“Am I that bad?” Even whilst he asked, Scott was staring longingly after Allison as she walked off down the corridor.

“Worse.”

“Oh.” Scott finally dragged his gaze away from Allison’s departing back, looking over at Stiles. “But she really is – “

“UGH!!” Groaning, Stiles strode away from Scott, knowing that he wasn’t going to get any sense out of him at all. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry – it’s just no one has ever really taken an interest in me and it’s got me all confused! Stiles – come back!”

* * *

Flat on his back on his bed, Stiles stared up at the ceiling. It didn’t matter what he tried to do, sooner or later his thoughts returned to the happenings of a few months ago. He was still vacillating wildly between thinking Peter Hale was a completely amoral douche-bag who had played with Stiles emotions; working through the idea that Stiles had completely misread the chemistry between them. Or, almost the worst of all, that Peter had done what he did in some misguided attempt to protect Stiles. 

Derek had been completely tight-lipped when he caught up with Stiles, simply saying that he wanted to make sure that Stiles got home safely. Stiles appreciated the escort, but more than anything he appreciated the way the other man made no comment on the tears that he couldn’t seem to hold back. The whole thing had been a complete and utter mess and Stiles knew he was lucky to have escaped with his life. The fact that he had watched as Peter ripped out Kate Argent’s throat and had felt little more than satisfaction that justice had been served still slightly troubled him – or rather, it troubled him that it didn’t trouble him. Was there something wrong with him? Was he a psychopath? Or maybe he had PTSD. Another thing he was unable to decide on. 

He heard the sounds of his Dad coming up the stairs to go to bed. The Sheriff had recovered well from his gunshot wound but was still slower than he used to be, having to move carefully as his balance was not quite right yet. His physiotherapy was going well, and he was scheduled to return to work soon, but Stiles was still worried. How did he stop his Dad from going back to investigating the very thing that had got him shot in the first place? What could he say – it was werewolves and hunters and revenge plots – oh my. His Dad would have him committed. 

He flipped over in the bed and grabbed his cell, sending a text message before he could bring himself to change his mind.

_To: hunter-dilf  
I want to tell my Dad about werewolves but I need someone to back me up. Will you do it?_

Maybe he should have asked Derek whether or not it was okay, but he tried not to text him too often. The temptation to ask him how things were going, if Peter was alright, what had happened with Laura – it all combined to make things awkward. Up until now, the two of them had texted back and forth with little things – Derek had really seemed to mean it when he said that Stiles was part of his Pack – but they both avoided mention of the huge elephant in the room. 

To his surprise, he got a reply almost instantly. 

_From: hunter-dilf  
Set it up – I’ll back your play._

To be honest, he had half expected Chris to refuse point-blank, but the guy seemed more than willing to attempt to be an ally. His opinion of Chris had softened from the contempt he had originally felt all those months ago – he had made mistakes, yes, but he seemed to want to rectify them which went a long way in Stiles’ book. 

_To: hunter-dilf  
Thanks. Sooner rather than later – he’s talking about continuing investigation into fire, something neither of us want. _

Satisfied, he lay back on the bed. He wasn’t sure how his Dad would take all of this, but it made sense that the best protection he could offer was information. And, it didn’t hurt that he knew that Chris had been dropping hints that he thought Stiles would make an excellent hunter. It wasn’t something he was interested in, but if it meant he had access to an arsenal that could help his Dad if the supernatural did intrude into their lives again, he wasn’t going to complain. 

_From: hunter-dilf  
Should I be worried about my daughter with your friend?_

_To: hunter-dilf  
Scott’s a puppy! He’s more likely to get turned into a werewolf than do anything to harm Allison!_

With his wing-man duties complete, Stiles decided it was time for bed. Scott had texted him earlier, wanting to know if Stiles was up to a little adventure in the Preserve but Stiles hadn’t been back there since the Hales had left. Although he wanted to let his Dad in on the whole supernatural secret, he well and truly wanted to leave the whole thing behind him. If Peter wasn’t coming back, and with Kate dealt with, it was a closed case and he wanted it to stay that way. Digging up memories wouldn’t help any of them – let the past stay buried, where it belonged. And God, let him get over this whole thing with Peter before he went completely out of his mind.

* * *

It had been a mistake to come out here without Stiles, but Allison was with her Dad, his Mom was working and Scott was at a loose end. Besides, he knew that _something_ had happened to his friend – Stiles had been really unhappy for a while, even after his Dad began to recover – and Scott would be no kind of friend if he didn’t try to find out what had gone on. 

The ruins of the old Hale house looked creepy as hell in the darkness, his torch doing little to illuminate things. Maybe this really wasn’t a good idea – if Stiles wanted to talk to Scott, he would – there was nothing here that would give Scott any clues. Mind made up, Scott turned away from the building and headed back into the trees. He didn’t even see what hit him, the last thing he remembered was excruciating pain and falling to the ground.

* * *


	2. Disturbed Nights

He writhed beneath the touches of sure hands, the edge of teeth grazing down his neck as the heavy body came to rest on top of him. He wrapped his legs around the trim waist, pushing upwards so that their groins were pressed together, grinding his cock desperately in an attempt for just – more. His mouth was taken in a deep kiss, tongues battling for dominance as they rolled over until he was straddling the form beneath him on the bed. 

“You’ve grown your hair out.”

“No talking.”

“I like it – gives me something to hold on to.”

“I don’t want to talk to you, you cheating bastard. Just – touch me.”

“You know why it had to be like this.”

“If you keep talking, I’m going to **make** myself wake up and this will be over.”

“I wondered if you knew what this was – “

“I don’t _know_ anything – except you left and you didn’t even bother to say goodbye – “

“Because if I had tried to say goodbye, I would never have left.”

“I don’t want your sweet lies.” He pushed the strong hands away from his hips, staring down angrily into the face he desperately did not want to miss, to love. “I hate you. The last time I saw you, you were kissing someone else.”

“But I wanted it to be you – “

“Fuck you!”

“Gladly. But firstly, I would dearly love to get my hands on that delicious ass of yours.” Firm touch sliding down his hips, then curving around to grasp his ass, squeezing. Unable to resist the temptation, he leaned down until their lips met again, teasing each other with light, wet kisses. 

“Why aren’t you here, with me?”

“You know why – she’s an unknown that needs to be dealt with – and I cannot risk you being known as mine until I can be there to protect you!”

“I don’t need protecting – I’m not some damsel in distress!”

“Sweetheart – “

“I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t see me as equal – “

“It’s not about that – “

“If this is that age shit again – “

“Did I remember to say happy birthday?”

“I threw your present in the trash.”

“No you didn’t – I know you too well darling.”

“Kiss me just so you’ll shut up – “

They both turned to face the window, passion momentarily forgotten. 

“Be careful, Stiles – I’ll get there as soon as I can – “ He stirred in his bed, dreams morphing to red eyes staring at him through his bedroom window. The mountain ash lining the entire house was enough to keep him safe – for now.

* * *

”Dude, I cannot believe you bailed on me last night!!”

“Scott – I didn’t bail on you, I just said I wasn’t up to going out. Besides, what’s so special about wandering around the forest for a couple of hours?” Stiles yawned widely, unable to appreciate Scott’s hyperactivity when he had had so little sleep. He had no idea why he was so sleepy lately – it didn’t seem to matter how early he went to bed, he didn’t feel rested. He couldn’t remember his dreams but always awoke with a vague sense of unease. His entire sleep cycle was just all fucked up and he was fed up of it.

“I’ve been waiting to tell you – I was attacked!”

“What?!” Instantly, Stiles was wide awake. 

“I was attacked by – by _something_ and it bit me and I woke up on the ground, like, two hours later! Mom almost had a shit-fit cos I wasn’t home when she called to check on me!”

Shoving Scott into the nearest bathroom, which fortunately turned out to be a gent’s, Stiles began to wrestle with his clothing. 

“Show me this bite!”

“Dude, I always knew you and McCall were too close for this friends shit, but keep it family-friendly at school, right?!” Greenberg shoved past Stiles and Scott without washing his hands, and Stiles made a mental note never to shake hands with the dude ever again. Or accept anything from him. 

“Stiles, stop it! What are you doing?”

“Show me this bite!”

“Not here – “

“NOW!” 

“Okay, okay!” Scott shrugged off his backpack and dumped it on the ground before lifting his shirt and turning so that his side was towards Stiles. There was a patchy attempt at first aid, the dressing splattered with blood. Stiles rips it off, ignoring Scott’s cry of “Hey!” but there’s absolutely nothing to see. 

“What the hell, Scott – you had me really worried!”

Scott stares down at his side, then gives Stiles a look of confusion. 

“I swear to you, Stiles – I was bitten by something! Look at all the blood – would I kid you about that?”

“Well, there’s nothing there now! Jesus, buddy, like I didn’t go through enough with all that shit with my Dad – I know you were pissed that I didn’t come out last night but this was kinda low, Scott.” Without allowing Scott to speak, Stiles spun and left the bathroom. Scott could have a juvenile sense of humour on occasion but it was rarely cruel. Whatever – if he thought pretending to have been bitten by some creature of the night was funny, he could play that joke on someone else – Stiles was too tired for all of that shit.

* * *

In the bathroom, Scott looked at his reflection, unable to believe that the mangled bite from the night before had disappeared. For just a moment, the sunlight came through the small windows, illuminating his eyes oddly, giving them a yellow-glow. Shrugging it off as his imagination, he grabbed his back-pack and left the boy’s bathroom, heading to class.

* * *


	3. Realisations

”I didn’t ask you where she wasn’t, David, I asked you where the fucking hell she IS!” Peter growled down the phone, unable to believe the incompetence of the people he was dealing with. 

“Uncle Peter – “

“If you tell me to calm down ONE MORE TIME, Derek, I may lose my ever-loving mind!”

“I know where she is.” Peter slammed the end-call button on his cell, ignoring the sound of the screen cracking – it was the third one he’d killed in less than two weeks but he couldn’t give two shits. This was the first thing resembling progress he and Derek had made since they left Beacon Hills. 

Derek looked up from where he was working on the laptop. 

“Look, don’t take it out on me that you made the wrong decision – if we had stayed – “

“I know, okay? I know – I wasn’t thinking clearly and can we save the I told you so’s until – what do you mean, if we had stayed?”

“She’s gone back. Laura’s in Beacon Hills.”

* * *

”Scott, this is really important. Where were you when you got bitten?”

“Oh, so now you believe me?” It was the first time Scott and Stiles had managed to catch up with each other since their meeting that morning – the curse of AP lessons. 

“Scott – this isn’t the time. Where were you?”

“What is going on with you, Stiles? Ever since – I would have thought with your Dad getting better, you’d be in a better mood, but you’ve been acting like – like – well, I don’t know what like, but you’ve been a real dick lately – “

“WHERE WERE YOU?!” Scott stood open-mouthed, unable to believe that Stiles was shouting at him. Unbidden, he felt his own temper rise, the urge to slap Stiles down and put him in his place almost overwhelming. He looked down to see that his hands were clenched into fists and realised he was grinding his teeth and almost growling. What the hell?

“Stiles – I don’t know what’s going on but – “

“Lower your head – your eyes are glowing!” He obeyed Stiles’ directions even though he didn’t quite understand what was going on. “Come on – you need to come with me.” Keeping his head down, Scott obediently followed Stiles to the blue jeep, climbing in without a word. 

“Where are we going?”

“We’re going to see Chris.”

“Chris?” Scott furrowed his brow, trying to think who they knew called Chris. “Chris who?”

“Chris Argent – Allison’s Dad.”

“Why the hell would we go there?”

“Because he’s going to help me figure out if what I think has happened has actually happened, and what the hell we can do about it.” Stiles’ looked and sounded agitated, and Scott automatically shrunk himself down in his seat – he didn’t want to be the focus of Stiles when he was in this kind of mood – it was normally focused on Harris during Chemistry and never boded well. 

“Um – Stiles?” Stiles glanced over before manoeuvring out of the school car park, cutting off Jackson at the entrance without a second look.

“What?”

“Why would Allison’s Dad know anything about what happened to me? And what do you think has happened to me? And – how would you know what happened to me?” 

“Look, Scott – it’s easier if you wait until we get there. Chris will be able to explain things better than I will – well, I hope so.” Nodding his acceptance, Scott stared out of the car window as Stiles drove the familiar roads to Allison’s house. Maybe she could help explain things and put Stiles in a better mood?

* * *

“She’s gone back where?”

“Don’t look now, Uncle Peter, but your eyes are glowing.”

“Derek – “

“She’s gone back to Beacon Hills. I tracked some reports, got in touch with a few of my contacts – “

“ _You_ have contacts?!”

“Focus! She left Phoenix not long after I did – I’m not sure where she went first. But she’s either headed for or in Beacon Hills.”

“What else do your contacts tell you?”

“That she got in touch with someone called Kali?”

“Derek pack up our stuff – now.”

“Do you know her?”

“Kali is bad news – she used to be part of the Alpha Pack before they were disbanded.”

“What the heck is an Alpha Pack?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.” Peter was throwing his clothes into his bag, not taking the time to fold them neatly the way he normally would. Watching his normally fastidious Uncle’s actions with concerned eyes, Derek logged out of the laptop and packed it away in its case.

“Why would Laura be in touch with someone from the Alpha Pack? And why were they disbanded? And by who?”

“I’ll tell you on the way, Derek, but we have to move – NOW.” Nodding, Derek grabbed his rucksack and began to pack up his belongings. He wasn’t sad to leave the apartment in Phoenix – it had been home for nearly six years but all of that seemed like a lie now. He wanted to catch up with Laura almost as much as Peter did because he felt like he deserved some answers from her regarding her actions all of those years ago. But Peter’s urgency was catching and Derek found himself growing more and more concerned. What had Laura got herself into this time?

* * *

“Fuck.” Scott looked up at Stiles’ expletive, surprised at the level of anger his friend was displaying. A glance at the Argent’s house did little to help, although he did wonder why Stiles’ Dad was there.

“Why is your Dad visiting Allison’s Dad?”

“Look, Scott – some of what’s gonna be said is going to be confusing at first. But I need you to try to stay calm and listen with an open mind? Okay? Can you do that for me?”

“Yeah, sure, but – “

“Just – wait until we get inside.” Following Stiles’ lead, Scott got out of the jeep and headed to the front door. Chris Argent opened the door, smiling at Stiles before his expression turned to a frown upon seeing Scott.

“Stiles – you’re early. And you brought – a guest?”

“Not exactly, Chris. Unfortunately, this might all be part of the same thing – kitchen okay?”

“Yeah, there’s more space.” Scott watched as Stiles walked into the house, more than obviously used to making his way through the hallway directly to the kitchen. Since when had Stiles been visiting Chris Argent? Just what the hell was going on?

“Hey, Dad.”

“Stiles – do you want to tell me why – Scott, what are you doing here?”

“I wish someone would tell me – Stiles just told me to get into the car and so I did. He said it’s something to do with the bite I got the other night when I was out in the Preserve, but I don’t see why since it’s gone now – “

“You were bitten?” Unfortunately, Scott was more than familiar with that tone of voice coming from Chris Argent – he had only met him a handful of times, but the man had no liking for him and it showed in every word he spoke. Allison refused to see it and seemed to think her Dad and Scott were destined to be great friends.

“Yeah, I – “

“Let me see it.”

“Like I said to the Sheriff, it’s not there now – HEY!” It was one thing to have Stiles manhandling him, but he was most uncomfortable with Allison’s Dad getting handsy and the Sheriff seemed to agree, getting to his feet and walking over.

“Look here, Chris, you can’t – “

“Hand me that light.” Stiles moved to obey, handing Chris a light from the sideboard without questioning him. 

“It’s one of the tools I was telling you about, Stiles – it will be able to pick up – there! Can you see it?” Stiles had stepped close to Chris and was examining Scott’s lower torso where the bite had been. 

“Jesus!”

“Yeah, it heals but you can see traces if you catch it fast enough. Scott, where were you when this happened? And how long ago was it – this is important.”

“Chris, I really think you and Stiles are going to have to explain just what the hell is going on. Apart from anything else, do you realise you’ve basically half-stripped a teenage boy in front of an officer of the law? And what are you looking for?”

“I’d like to know the same thing.” The four men looked over to the kitchen doorway where Allison had just appeared. “Why do you have your hands all over my boyfriend, and exactly what are you looking for?” 

Stiles and Chris shared a look, and Scott finally understood what some of the books meant when they went on about speaking-glances. There was definitely something weird going on when his best friend and his girlfriend’s Dad seemed to have some secret between them. Stiles nodded and stepped back, going over to stand with his Dad. Chris released Scott and he quickly pulled his clothing down, moving backwards out of Chris’ reach and closer to Allison.

“Allison, honey, I’m going to need you to step away from Scott and come over here. Stiles, would you please make some coffee? Sheriff – you might want a drink.” Allison gave him a confused glance but obeyed her father until Scott was alone facing all of them. 

“No, thank you. I’d just like to know what’s going on between you and my son, why you called me here, and what the hell you think you were doing to Scott?”

“Dad – there is so much we have to tell you, but the first thing you’re going to have to accept, no matter how far-fetched it sounds, is that the supernatural is real – is that werewolves are real. And some live – or _lived_ in Beacon Hills.” The Sheriff scoffed in response before seeming to realise that Stiles was actually being **serious**. The Sheriff looked shocked, looking back towards Chris who nodded confirmation. Then all gazes turned towards him. 

“Why are all of you looking at me?”

* * *


	4. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all a bit plotty for me....
> 
> * * *

“Do I need to shoot Peter Hale?”

“What?” Stiles turned to face his father who had just come out onto the Argent’s porch. He looked weary but a little less shell-shocked than earlier. 

“Well, based on what you and Chris revealed inside, I get the feeling I need to get my gun out for _somebody_.”

“Dad – “

“Stiles – you took your life into your hands to face a – a _werewolf_ – to get justice for me. And it seems to me that not only did you put your person in danger, you also kinda lost your heart. Kiddo – I know you better than you seem to realise and I know you haven’t been happy in months.” His Dad held up his hand to forestall what Stiles had been about to say. “Please don’t deny it – I wouldn’t be worth much as a Sheriff if I couldn’t read between the lines just a little. Now, I know Chris isn’t helping you out of the goodness of his heart – there’s more than a little guilt tied up in there – and not all of it has to do with his sister.”

“Before he left – the last time I saw Peter – he was kissing Chris.” His father’s eyebrows rose to his hairline before he gave a thoughtful nod. “You don’t seem that surprised.”

“No – not really. I mean, Peter Hale is, what, early thirties? Any man worth his salt is going to try to dissuade someone he cares about from making what might be a huge mistake.”

“Jesus, don’t tell me you’re on his side!” Stiles blew out a frustrated breath before turning back to the view of the manicured garden, leaning down to rest his elbows on the porch rail.

“I didn’t say I agreed with him – just that I can understand what he was probably trying to do.” His father appeared at his side, mirroring his posture. “Of course, he doesn’t know you as well as I do – or just how much like your mother you can be.”

“What does that mean?”

“I was more than a little older than your mother, Stiles. But she never once let that stop her – in fact, I’ve never felt quite as hunted as I did when she set her sights on me.” Reluctantly, Stiles smiled. He had heard the story of how his mother had met Noah Stilinski and decided he was the one for her, then proceeded to make Noah realise the same thing. He hadn’t realised how big the age gap was, although if he had put some thought into it, he would have noticed. His mother’s death had meant he never really got to see his parents together when he would have been old enough to appreciate the nuances of their relationship and suddenly, he missed her more than anything. “Of course, it helped that I _wanted_ her to catch me – I just needed to let go of my prejudices about the whole age thing before I could see that she was – and always will be – one of the best things to ever happen to me. And I swore to her when you were born that I would shoot the first person who broke your heart.”

“Thanks, Dad.” The thought of his Dad being that protective felt good, even if it was pointless in this instance. 

“I’ll be asking Chris for some of his mountain ash bullets and having a word with Mr Hale when he shows his face in Beacon Hills again.”

“What makes you think he’ll show his face back here? He couldn’t seem to get out of town fast enough!”

“Well, that might be because I’m standing right here.” Stiles spun around in shock, staring open-mouthed at the man standing in the doorway.

“Peter!” Without thinking, Stiles walked over to Peter and smashed him in the face with a right hook. Whether it was because he took him by surprise, Peter staggered back. Unfortunately, Stiles wasn’t able to enjoy the look of shock on his face as his hand exploded in pain. “FUCK!” 

“Well, that wasn’t _quite_ the greeting I was expecting, but no doubt I deserved it.”

“Based on what my son has told me, that was the _least_ that you deserved.” His Dad put his arm around Stiles’ shoulders, scowling at Peter.

“Point taken, Sheriff. It’s good to see you on your feet – I’ve heard a lot about you from Stiles and I look forward to getting to know you.”

“And what makes you think you’re going to get the opportunity to?”

“Because Derek and I are back because there’s an issue on Hale territory – and this time, I have no intention of walking away afterwards.” Something passed between Peter and his Dad but Stiles couldn’t concentrate on deciphering it, the pain in his hand holding most of his attention.

“Fine. But you and I will be having a conversation about you putting my son in danger – and other things.”

“Sounds more than fair, Sheriff. Shall we go inside and see just what damage your son has managed to cause himself on my jaw?”

* * *

“Allison, Scott – this is Derek Hale. Derek – this is my daughter and her – boyfriend.”

Derek nodded at both of the teenagers, sensing something about Scott. A slight glimmer in his eyes was the final clue that Derek needed.

“When were you bitten?”

“Does _everyone_ know?!” Scott exclaimed.

“No – I can sense it because I’m a werewolf.”

“Whoa! Really?”

“Derek is the middle son of the Hale Pack – he was one of the survivors of the fire.” Derek avoided looking at Chris, still finding it difficult to hear one of the Argents speak about the loss of his family. He didn’t blame Chris – he knew it had been Kate – but it was still hard. “Allison will be the new matriarch of the Argents – if she chooses to be, that is.”

“Dad – I’m not sure I want to be part of all of this – I still can’t believe – “

“There’s no rush, Allison. It’s not as though we’re particularly active in the hunting community. I should have told you the truth months ago – possibly when your mother first left, even. But – I wanted you to be free to be whoever you wanted to be for as long as possible. Unfortunately, this whole situation has precipitated that.”

“So – Scott, was it? How long ago were you bitten?”

“Why is it any of your business?” The younger man seemed to be bristling at Derek’s questions although he couldn’t figure out why. 

“Because he needs to know if we should lock you up or not – your Alpha may try to call you out or use you against us.”

“And who the hell are you?” Derek watched as Peter, Stiles and a man who must be the Sheriff came in from the porch. When he and Peter had arrived back in Beacon Hills, they had taken time to quickly get changed out of their grubby travel clothes in their hotel room before making their way to the Argent house. Peter had gone around the side of the house directly to the garden, whilst Derek had done the polite thing and knocked at the door. Peter was rubbing his chin and Stiles was cradling his hand, so Derek could assume the reunion had gone well. 

The Sheriff took Stiles over to the sink and made him put his hand under the cold water tap. 

“I’m the man who’s going to kick your ass if you keep being so insolent, you puppy! Now simmer down – I don’t think Derek has any interest in your girlfriend so you’re safe.” Derek snorted at Peter’s blunt comment, before turning his interest back to Stiles. 

“Are you okay? It’s good to see you again by the way.”

“Hey, Derek.” Stiles waved the hand not currently under the tap, an unguarded smile on his face which made something in Derek relax. Stiles didn’t seem to be blaming Derek for Peter’s defection, which was a relief because he had a lot of respect for the young man and would like to consider him as a friend. And Pack. 

“Do you have a first aid kit, Chris?” 

“Derek – this is my Dad, Sheriff Stilinski. Dad – this is Derek.”

“Hello, son. Apparently, I owe you a debt of thanks – Stiles and Chris told us what happened and it sounds like you looked after him.”

“I didn’t do anything – Stiles protected me far better than I looked after him.” Derek ducked his head, a little embarrassed by the thanks. 

“Well – thank you anyway.” Chris came back into the room, carrying a case that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the back of an ambulance. It made sense – it wasn’t as if hunters would be able to go to the hospital for anything other than life-threatening injuries. Without saying a word, Chris guided Stiles over to the large oak table and made him take a seat, cradling his hand as he looked it over and examined it for injuries. 

“So – when were you bitten?” Peter crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing Scott with a less than pleased expression.

“It was the other night – I was out in the preserve, just messing about.”

“Where in the Preserve?” Scott mumbled something under his breath, looking slightly shame-faced.

“Where?”

“I said, I was out by the Hale house.” Derek could understand Scott’s expression now – it didn’t sound good to say you had been messing about in the ruins of someone else’s life, and no doubt it wasn’t something most people had to actually admit to in front of their girlfriend to the people who’s lives had been ruined. 

“Well, now we’ve established where Scott was, do we need to consider him a danger?” Chris looked up from where he was bandaging Stiles’ hand.

“I think we need to consider the fact that the Alpha may have bitten him as a way of either building a pack and – or – having someone that could potentially spy for them.”

“Do we know who the Alpha is? Is it a rogue?” Regretfully, Peter shook his head.

“No – it’s one of two people. It’s either Laura – or it’s Kali.”

“Kali as in – “

“As in, from the Alpha Pack.”

“And what the hell is an Alpha Pack when it’s at home?” 

“If they’ve got back together, they could well be our worst nightmare.”

* * *


	5. Instigators

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look behind at the scenes at the instigators...
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: this is the second chapter posted today so make sure you haven't missed anything.
> 
> * * *

“Laura! You need to calm down!” Kali stepped back as Laura swept everything from the mantle with a huge crash. 

“You said they would understand – that they would – “

“This is just the beginning! You knew this was going to take time – from the time Derek spoke to your Uncle, you **knew** that you – that **we** – would need to see this through! They’ll understand in the long-term – I swear to you!” Grabbing Laura, Kali wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in close. The other woman was sobbing, her arms now tight around Kali’s waist as she leaned all of her weight against her. 

“But Derek isn’t going to listen to me now – he’s going to believe everything Uncle Peter tells him – and Chris Argent!” Laura spat malice and vitriol in her tone.

“Derek will listen to you – he was with you for six years! Of course, he’s going to understand! It’s just for now! And we have an in – don’t we? Didn’t that work out just the way I said it would? All we need to do is call the McCall boy out and speak to him – find out what plans they have! It’s all going to be fine.” Running her hand soothingly down Laura’s hair, Kali led her gently back to the couch. 

“You understood – you know I did the right thing, don’t you Kali?” Laura looked up at her beseechingly and Kali nodded. 

“Of course I understand. What else could you do? Your pack was gone – you had to protect Cora and Derek. You had no way of knowing whether or not Peter would recover. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few – survival of the pack is all.”

It took a while for Laura to calm down and Kali waited as patiently as she could. She was worried – the outbursts were getting wilder, Laura’s reactions more extreme. They had seen Derek and Peter arrive at Chris Argent’s house and it had taken everything Kali had to prevent Laura from storming in there. The younger Alpha was determined to not only have her revenge but also get her family back.

“Can I talk to Cora now?”

“Laura – “

“I just want to hear her voice – it’s been so long, Kali! What if she’s heard something – what if she thinks I just let her go – “

“Laura! We’ve been over this! Cora is safe where she is and we need to leave her that way. Once the dust settles, you can speak to her, see if she wants to come back to Beacon Hills. But we have to get things sorted out here first.”

Kali stared into Laura’s face until the younger woman reluctantly nodded her acceptance. 

“Now – are you calm enough for us to put the next phase into action?”

“I don’t know – I never trusted him before and knowing that he could have done _something_ – “

“It’s not their way – they work to maintain the balance and don’t interfere.”

“But – he could have saved my whole family! How could losing **all** of them maintain the balance?”

“Laura – “

“No! I refuse to believe that there wasn’t a way for Deaton to do **something**!” 

“Perhaps there was – if you only consider the short term. But I’ve spoken to him – and his sister, Morrell – and they say there is more here at stake.”

“I know, I know. The Nemeton.”

“Exactly.”

“But I still can’t get to it – I’m the Hale Alpha and it won’t show itself to me!”

“Not yet – not at the moment. But you haven’t properly bonded with the territory – Deaton’s going to help you to do that.”

“And this ritual – it’s safe?”

“As safe as he can make it.”

“I don’t know, Kali. I don’t like the sound of this _darkness_ he told you about. What if – what if there’s something wrong inside of me and it makes everything go wrong? I mean – it was my fault what happened to my family – what if this sets something free?” 

“Sssh, Laura, you just let me worry about all of that. You know I love you, right?”

“I love you too.”

“Then we can do this – together.”

* * *

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Deaton looked over at his sister, hands still busy crushing herbs in the mortar. 

“What do you mean?”

“This doesn’t seem to be the way to maintain the balance, brother.”

“I thought you wanted to be out of all of this?”

“I do – but – “

“Then this is what needs to happen. We need the rightful Hale heir to claim the territory properly and then the Nemeton will reveal itself. Once that happens, we can make our tribute and then – “

“It isn’t the way, Alan!”

“What do you know of the Way? You served Deucalion when he was responsible for the Alpha Pack and look at the damage they caused over the years! It was my intervention that helped you survive the end of them – how dare you question me now!” Morrell lowered her head but Alan knew that she wasn’t cowed. “Sister – believe me, I am doing this for us, for all of our kind. It has been too long that we have been subservient to them, and look what they have done! WE can take care of such things far better than they can but we need the power of the Nemeton to do so. If I tell you that I swear to keep casualties to an absolute minimum, will that make you feel happier?”

“I do not think you can make such an assurance, Alan. What you plan to instigate – sheer chaos cares not for your plans.”

“It will be fine. Now, help me prepare this – Kali will be bringing Laura to see us and we need to be prepared. This is the right move – soon, the Druids will make this territory great again and maintain things the way they should always have been. And our family will be at the head of it all.”


	6. Dissemination

“Everything alright?” Stiles nodded at his father, still embarrassed by his earlier comment. Peter’s cell rang and everyone jumped.

“Sorry – I’ve been expecting a call. I put out some feelers once I heard Kali’s name was involved – this could prove helpful.” He turned to Chris. “Is there somewhere I can take this?”

“Sure – you can use my study. But – Peter, just why has **my** house become the centre of operations?”

“Because it represents neutral ground, of course, Christopher – do try to use that brain of yours. And of course, you do have rather an impressive array of weaponry. Do you truly object? I mean, wouldn’t you rather be in the middle of things than on the periphery playing catch up?” Chris gave a wry smile then stepped aside so Peter could leave the room. It didn’t escape Stiles’ notice that Peter obviously knew where the study was – he felt a little guilty about the pang of jealousy but there was little he could do about it. 

“Stiles – I really think that maybe all of this has got a bit out of hand! I mean – you want me to believe that I’m a werewolf – that **he’s** a werewolf” – Scott pointed at Derek – “and that I’m in danger of turning evil or something just because the thing that bit me calls me out? It all sounds a little far-fetched, don’t you think?” Scott sounded aggrieved and Stiles wondered what he’d missed while he’d been outside damaging his pride and his hand. 

“Does this help?” Derek’s soft voice called attention to where he had been stood quietly on the sidelines and Stiles smirked when he saw that he had transformed into his Beta form.

“Jumping Jesus Christ!” Stiles had to give props to his Dad – despite the look of shock on his face, he looked more intrigued than frightened. Scott, on the other hand, had leapt backwards, bumping into Allison and sending her flying into the fridge. “Sorry, Ally – I just – am I gonna turn into _that_?”

“Most likely. And as you can see by the claws and fangs – you could be pretty dangerous. Derek – stop scaring him – you’ve made your point.” Derek smiled, revealing an impressive array of fangs before he turned back to his normal handsome visage. Allison looked fascinated, having righted herself from Scott’s tumble and taken a step towards Derek. Stiles saw Scott register her movement, a frown marring his normally sunny face. So that’s what it was about – Scott was jealous of Derek’s good looks and worried that Allison’s head might be turned. 

“Do we need to put him somewhere for safekeeping?” Chris hadn’t reacted to Derek’s change at all.

“No – I think we might be able to use his connection to his Alpha.” Peter had returned to the kitchen, frowning down at his cell even as he spoke. “My contact sent me a photo of Kali – just so we know who we’re looking for. And apparently, the Alpha Pack has not re-formed – Deucalion was killed in a fight in Memphis; Ennis got some poor girl pregnant and her Pack felt that he should stick around – I’m not sure how voluntary the whole thing was on his behalf. Aiden and Ethan are nowhere to be found, but to be fair they were more cannon fodder than any real danger. Which might explain why Kali has joined up with – with Laura. She’s probably looking to build a new pack.”

“What is an Alpha Pack? I mean – a whole pack of alphas just sounds strange.” Stiles’ curiosity got the better of him.

“They _are_ strange – or were. And extremely dangerous. Deucalion discovered that killing one of his betas gave him greater power – no one knows whether the initial kill was intentional or an accident. However, in an attempt to grow stronger, he killed his whole pack.”

“Fuck!”

“Quite. He then moved on to building a new pack with similar powers – encouraging certain alphas to follow his example. He didn’t get many takers – most werewolves view their pack as family. My understanding of it is, Kali was his second in command; Ennis was his enforcer, and the twins were the omegas of their pack – treated quite badly to all accounts – and Deucalion convinced them to join together and kill their alpha. They never managed to hold on to any territory but instead roamed around and did – well, whatever they wanted to do. Little regard for law and order, or Pack rules. That was why they were forcibly disbanded – they were bringing unwanted attention.”

“We did wonder what had happened to them.” Chris was looking thoughtful.

“They were on your radar?”

“Not mine specifically – my father mentioned them the last time he visited. And of course, Kate was _extremely_ interested in going up against them – she felt that it would be a prestigious kill for the Argent name.”

“So it’s just this Kali we have to deal with?”

“Well – Kali and Laura. And whoever put Kali up to whatever schemes she’s concocting – there’s a reason she was Deucalion’s second hand. She tends to be more of an action type of wolf rather than a plotting one. No – there’s someone out there pulling strings.”

“So what do we do now?”

“I think the first order of business has to be teaching young McCall here some rudimentary control – we don’t want him going into school and wolfing out.” Stiles nodded his agreement to Peter’s plan, catching his father watching him out of the corner of his eye. “You okay Dad?”

“Yeah – yeah, kiddo, I’m good. I just – I’ve never really seen you like this. It’s an education.”

“Stick around – you ain’t seen nothing yet!” His Dad smiled and something within Stiles relaxed – they were alright. His Dad knew the truth about what he had done – what he had been part of – and he still loved Stiles. That was almost all he needed for his world to be right. Almost.

“And despite all of this excitement, three of you have got school tomorrow.”

“Dad! You have got to be joking!”

“No, Allison, I’m not. You three need to stick together but act as normal as possible. They may not be aware of how much we know, or who exactly is _in_ the know. We need to keep that information to ourselves for as long as possible. Knowledge is power.” Chris looked at the three of them individually with a stern look on his face and they all nodded. “Peter – where are you and Derek staying? We have a spare room – “

“They can’t stay here!” Scott burst out, a look of outrage on his face.

“And just why not?” Allison had obviously had enough of his childish behaviour, turning and fixing him with a glare. 

“Allison – “

“Scott, could I have a word with you please? Outside.” She stalked over to the patio doors without checking to see whether or not Scott was following her. He did follow her, looking more than a little sheepish. 

“Do I want to know what that was about?”

“Derek’s too hot for Scott to handle,” Stiles joked, watching the flush spread over Derek’s face at the back-handed compliment. 

“You have got to be kidding me!” Noah looked at Stiles in disbelief. “He’s just found out he’s a god-damned werewolf and he’s worried about petty jealousies?”

“Well, you do have to admit, Derek is rather a fine specimen of a man. Maybe Ally might decide that if she’s going to date a monster of the night, she should go for the older, more controlled version!” Stiles burst out laughing at the look on Chris’s face. “I’m joking – but yeah, Scott can have tunnel vision. Good luck to whoever gets to teach him some control – he’s also got authority issues.”

Peter looked over at Derek, then at Chris, before returning his gaze to Derek. 

“Really?”

“You’re closer to him in age – you can train him the way your mother trained you. I’m too old and set in my ways.”

“Yeah and I bet that’s the last time you use the age card,” Derek muttered under his breath but Stiles heard him nevertheless. “Fine – I’ll spend some time with him, try to teach him some basic controls.”

“Is he safe out there with my daughter?” They all turned to look through the windows of the patio doors that Allison was clearly reading Scott the riot act as he stood there meekly. 

“I think it’s pretty obvious that Scott is very much a follower, not a leader. I think Allison will be able to keep him in check – especially once Derek has done some work with him.”

“Okay, let’s have a look at that picture your contact sent you – that way, we all know who to keep an eye out for.” Chris took Peter’s cell when it was offered, taking a long look at the image on the screen. He passed it to Noah who did the same, before handing it to Stiles.

“Wait a minute – I know this woman! Well – I’ve _seen_ her!”

“Where have you seen her?”

“You’re not gonna believe this – like, I can barely believe it myself. I saw her with our School counsellor – Greenberg pointed her out to me. And then I saw her again when I was picking Scott up from work.”

“Where does he work?”

“He works at the local vet part-time – but how would Deaton know Kali?”

“Deaton?!”

* * *


	7. Declarations of Intent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the change in rating.
> 
> * * *

“You’re wrong!” Scott slammed his hand down on the table before leaving his seat and retreating to the furthest part of the kitchen. “There’s no way in hell that Deaton is involved in any of this!”

“You’re telling me that Scott’s boss – the _vet_ – is a fucking druid?!” Stiles’ sounded disbelieving, his words mirroring the expressions on at least two other people in the room.

“I’m sorry – you have no issue whatsoever in believing in werewolves but the thought that the local vet might be a druid is a step too far for you?” Peter smirked at the chagrin on Stiles’ face, ignoring the outburst from the puppy, McCall. The boy appeared to have nothing in the way of common sense and it was becoming annoying. He could see why Laura and Kali had chosen him though – he seemed like the type who would be easily swayed with tales of woe. Even knowing the full history of what had happened to the Hale family, that Laura had been prepared to let her uncle die at the hands of Kate Argent, Scott still seemed to be struggling with the concept that some people were bad.

“Fine, point taken.”

“So what exactly is Deaton trying to do?” That came from the Sheriff and Peter felt his respect for the man grow. He seemed to have accepted the improbable and moved on to practical matters, something that others might struggle to do. 

“I don’t know – unfortunately, the extent of my knowledge of him is rather scant. The alpha of the pack dealt with the Emissary in the main – in my position, I had little to do with him. They are meant to assist in maintaining the balance of power, of order, in the territory. I did wonder exactly what Deaton was doing when the fire happened but to be completely honest, my mind was on other things.”

“Okay, well, information is power and they won’t know that we are aware that Deaton is involved in this somehow. Who’s the school counsellor you mentioned?” Chris was working on his laptop, no doubt taking notes – he had unprecedented access to information and appeared to be taking full advantage. 

“Her name’s Morrell.” Stiles was recovering his equilibrium.

“Marin Morrell?” 

“I don’t know – we weren’t really on first name terms. I was sent to see her when – when Dad was shot. The school wanted me to know that they would support me. It was a waste of time – she just stared at me the whole time, didn’t say a word.”

“Marin Morrell is Deaton’s sister.”

“Well, shit. The plot thickens. Do you think she’s involved?”

“I don’t know – I thought she had withdrawn herself from Druid business after the debacle with Deucalion, but perhaps she is part of it. We’ll have to investigate. Unfortunately, we will need to be relatively circumspect – the good people of Beacon Hills are not ready to know about the supernatural and I would prefer to keep a low profile.”

“Are you still officially missing from the nursing home?”

“No – Derek and I managed to sort that out while we were out of town. He merely let them know that I was found wandering around, disorientated after being in the coma. They did not want to leave themselves open to a lawsuit – having a patient abscond and be discovered in a potentially dangerous state of mind would do little for their advertising. I am a fully recognised member of society again.” Peter turned to Stiles. “Would it be possible to have a word with you – in private?”

“Stiles – you don’t have to – “

“Yeah, that’s fine. It’s okay, Dad – I have some things I want to say to Peter anyway.” The Sheriff gave him a dark glare and Peter nodded in response, accepting that he had some making up to do with regard to the other man. Not only had he put Stiles in danger, but he had also deserted him with little to no explanation, and that was without considering the age gap and the obvious attraction between them. He didn’t think he and the Sheriff were going to become friends any time soon. 

He followed Stiles out onto the porch, deliberately leading them away from the patio doors so that the others wouldn’t be able to spy on them. He wanted this to be a private discussion. 

Before he had the chance to speak, Stiles grabbed him behind the neck, tugging Peter into a kiss that made his mind blank out. Without volition, he wrapped his arms around Stiles, pulling him as close as physically possible, taking control of the kiss. They kissed hungrily, breathing heavily as they pressed against each other. Peter managed to pull his mouth away reluctantly.

“Stiles – “

“No – just for a second, can I have this before you give me some speech about how you’re too old for me, or this is too dangerous, or whatever other shit you have in mind!” Peter grabbed the hair at the nape of Stiles’ neck, tugging his head back so that he could lay hungry kisses down the length of his throat. “Jesus – “

“I have no intention of saying any of those things.” Pulling back, Peter cupped Stiles’ face so that they were staring into each other's eyes. Unable to resist, Peter pressed his thumb against Stiles’ plump lower lip, forcing his mouth to open. He groaned when Stiles’ tongue slipped out to lick at his flesh and he leaned down to give Stiles a biting kiss. He sucked at his lower lip, tugging at it with his teeth even as Stiles gave a filthy moan. It was all he could do to keep his hands at Stiles’ hips, wanting desperately to reach around and grab his ass, pull him closer so that he could grind his aching cock against the hardness evident in Stiles’ jeans. “I’m not a nice man, Stiles – anyone who knew me before could tell you that. And I know that I should probably warn you off, push you away – any number of things that a good man would do. But I’m not a good man – I am the Left Hand of the Hale Pack and I want to do so many deliciously filthy things to you. What I did six months ago is the extent of my good intentions – I tried to keep away from you, to not possess you and keep you for myself. I tried to tame the beast inside and make it understand all of those human niceties like age but I’m done with all of that. I will not be keeping away from you – I want to imprint myself on your skin so that you smell of me and I smell of you. I want to rub my come all over your body so that anyone who comes near you will know that you are taken. But when I do these things – and note I say _when_ not if, it will not be with your father in the other room and enemies at our door. I want to take my time with you, take you apart piece by piece, taste every inch of your skin – I want to spread you out on my bed and smell the basest scents of you – I want to rub my face into the soft skin of your inner thighs – I want my beard burn to be a permanent mark on the cheeks of your delectable ass. So, you see, I have no intention of backing off this time. You’re eighteen – far too young – but I don’t care because you are legal and I intend to take advantage of whatever it is you feel for me. So I sincerely suggest you keep yourself safe while all of this is going on because when it is over, your ass belongs to me.”

“Fuck.”

“Not eloquent but heartfelt.”

“What do you expect after you said all of that? My brains are firmly in my pants and trying to bust loose – you’re lucky I’m not humping your leg or coming in my jeans!”

“Oh, we can _definitely_ explore all of that – any and all fantasies that you have, Stiles. But first – don’t underestimate Laura, Kali or even that confounded vet. You keep yourself safe – you keep your family safe – and you make sure we get the chance to do all of those things in your mind, yes?”

Stiles nodded, appearing dumbfounded. 

“Excellent. Well, now we’ve sorted out that important bit of business, shall we return inside and plan just how to get these people out of _our_ territory so that we can get to the good stuff?” 

“Guh!”

* * *


	8. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura has some choices to make...
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's all getting a little bit dark!
> 
> * * *

“Why did you wait so long to bring her?”

“Don’t talk to me in that tone of voice, Deaton – this is a mutual arrangement and I do not work for you. You had best remember that.”

“And you had best remember not to threaten me.” 

“It’s talking to me – I can hear it at last.”

“Laura – Laura, do you know where you are?”

“There’s little point in trying to speak to her – I fear she is at the point of a psychotic break. Let’s get this done.”

“Don’t we have to wait for Morrell?”

“No – I think it would be best to continue with just us – we are bound to this course and determined – that should prove enough of an anchor.”

“And if it doesn’t? Deaton – “

“Then we will find another way. Put her in the tub and help me hold her under.”

It was cold – so so cold. Water flowing over her face, seeping into her pores, into her very soul. She should fight – she should want to fight. But she was so tired...

* * *

“Mom?”

“Oh my darling girl!” Laura ran towards her mother, desperate to feel her arms around her in a safe embrace. But no matter how hard she ran, she couldn’t seem to get any closer. She looked down and realised she was in some kind of dark robe, her hair held up in a loose bun. This was not how she remembered things – she had been with Kali, they had been talking and then – it was all just a giant blank.

She stopped running and came to a halt, staring at her mother. She looked just as Laura remembered – her face strong, but kind, love and understanding in her eyes. But she wasn’t there – not really. Before Laura’s eyes, her mother transformed into a giant black wolf before returning to her human shape. Then she was slowly consumed by fire, her skin melting, her face twisting and contorting in agony before she was once again as Laura remembered her. 

Behind her mother’s rapidly changing, flickering figure, a giant tree stood tall and strong, before changing into a withered stump. She shook her head, desperate to comprehend what was happening.

“No, I – I don’t want this – I don’t understand – “

“I don’t have a lot of time, Laura, so you must listen to me very carefully – do you understand?” The figure of her mother kept flickering through it’s changes, the mouth not moving even as it spoke.

“But – where am I? What’s going on?”

“LAURA! Listen to me!”

“I – I’m trying!” She pulled at her hair, the pain anchoring her for a moment. She looked back to her mother, tears welling in her eyes. “I’ve made so many mistakes, Mom! I don’t even know where to begin – “

“I know, darling, I know! But you have some choices ahead – some hard choices. And, there are things – things that will be whispering to you, telling you to do things that you know you shouldn’t. You must fight, my darling! Fight for yourself, for your pack – for everything we ever meant! Don’t give in to them, Laura – I cannot fathom how awful things may turn out if you give in to them!”

“But Mom – I – I’m so alone! Derek has left me! I – I let down Uncle Peter so very badly – the only person who understands me is Kali – “

“You mustn’t – “

“I can’t hear you! Mom, you’re fading! Please don’t go – don’t leave me here all alone!”

“I love you, my darling! I trust that you will make the right choice – “

“MOM! Please – don’t – “

“Be careful who you trust, Laura – the pack bond and the Nemeton will speak to you, if you let it.”

* * *

It was so dark. Curled into a ball on the floor, hugging her legs to her chest, Laura sobbed. She felt so completely and utterly alone. Why hadn’t her mother stayed with her? Why hadn’t she saved Laura from all of this madness? She couldn’t cope alone – she should never have been alpha and now everyone knew it. Derek was better off without her, and her uncle would never forgive her. Her entire family had died because of her and now she was here, in this nowhere place, where breathing hurt and she just wanted it all to end.

She didn’t even believe that Kali truly cared – in her sleep, she called for someone called Julia, such love and longing in her voice that Laura knew would never be there for her. 

She was so alone.

“Llllaaaauuurrrraaaa!” A slithering, slimy-sounding voice came out of the darkness, loud but yet quiet at the same time. It sounded so near. “I can be with you, Laura – I can help you feel less alone.”

“Leave me alone!” Her mother’s words came to her like an echo, growing quieter and quieter until it was difficult to recall what she had said. There had been a warning there – 

“Is that what you really want, Laura? You want to be all alone with no one by your side? I could be there for you – I could help you have a family again. All you have to do is let me in, Laura.”

“I don’t – “ Laura screamed as suddenly it felt like something was battering at her head, trying to force its way in. “NO!”

“I can save you from HER too. All you have to do is let me in. I would be so good to you, Laura – I would keep you safe and warm where nothing could ever hurt you again. All you have to do is let me in.”

“Stop this! Stop it!” Laura banged her fists against her head, uncaring of the pain she was causing herself, just wanting it all to stop. The soft tone disappeared, the silence deafening in it’s suddenness. 

“Laura – “

“Who –? Mom, is that you?”

“Hello, Laura. My name is Jennifer and I’m here to help you.”

“I can’t see you – I can’t sense you!” She looked around wildly, unable to make out anything in the darkness, her wolf’s senses dulled so much that she feared that it was gone.

“I can help you with that – all you need to do is stop fighting me so hard.” Again, the searing pain of something trying to force its way into her head and Laura screamed again. “Give in to me, Laura, and I will help you achieve everything you ever wanted.”

“No, I – “

“Don’t you want the pain to end? Don’t you want to stop thinking about your family, about how they were ripped away from you because you loved the wrong person? I know how that feels, Laura – I know how it feels to love someone with your whole heart and to have it torn asunder as they betray you. I can help you – if you let me. All you have to do is – “

“LET ME IN!” It was back – the slimy tone that made her feel dirty and wrong and evil. 

“Please, please – leave me alone! Let me die here – just leave me alone!”

“But Laura – you could be happy again? Don’t you want that? You and a proper pack again?” That was the voice calling itself Jennifer – it was so soft, so gentle – how could something that sounded like that be wrong?

There were murmurings all around her, growing louder and louder, beating at her ears and her head until she felt like she couldn’t breathe with all of the pressure. It was like the two different voices were talking at the same time, to her, to each other.

“Please – what do you want from me?”

“Just – LET – **US** – IN!” Exhausted beyond all bearing, unable to bring herself to fight any longer, Laura nodded.

“Yes – just – make it all stop.”

“As you wish.”

* * *


	9. Shovel Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sheriff has a little talk with Peter..
> 
> * * *

“Pull her out!”

“Is she – “

“I don’t know!” Laura shivered as Kali wrapped a towel around her, rubbing at her arms with material that felt like acid being poured over her skin.

“I’m alright, I’m alright – stop it!” She pulled away, staggering slightly as her legs almost gave way. She sank into the nearest chair, looking up to see Kali and a dark-skinned male staring at her. “You can stop staring anytime – I said I’m alright.”

“Laura – you were out for so long, we – “

“I’m Alan Deaton – I was your mother’s Emissary.”

“I know exactly who you are, and exactly what you _were_ to my pack.” She kept her tone light but she could see that Deaton had registered some of her contempt. “What day is it?”

“It’s Wednesday.”

“Okay, good. We have a few days before the next full moon. There are things that need to be done before then.”

“Laura – “

“Do stop saying my name like that, Kali! I’m beginning to see how Deucalion began to find you irritating.” She smiled inwardly at the flinch Kali could not hide before turning back to Deaton. “Make the preparations – I presume you are aware of what exactly is required?” 

Deaton nodded even whilst looking at her cautiously. Good – he should be cautious. Whatever plans he may have made, he was about to find out that she was a puppet to no-one.

* * *

”I’m bored!” 

“Your homework isn’t going to do itself, Scott, and I think Melissa might have something to say if your grades stay the way they are!”

“Low blow, Stiles!” Peter watched from the sidelines, drinking a cup of coffee. It was strange to see Stiles like this – as a student who still needed to do homework. The Sheriff entered the kitchen, walking over to the coffee-pot and pouring himself a mug. He stood next to Peter, leaning back against the counter.

“Does it make you re-think your plans, seeing him like this?” Peter turned to face the Sheriff head-on, aware that this conversation was potentially long-overdue.

“You may or may not be fully aware of this, Sheriff, but I did **attempt** to keep away from your son. Unfortunately, he’s a little like a tick – he burrowed under my skin and now I can’t seem to get away from him.”

The Sheriff nodded, giving Peter an assessing look. 

“I can’t say I’m happy about all of this, Hale. This supernatural stuff is a bit much to swallow and knowing how much danger Stiles has been in – **is** in – it doesn’t sit well with me – “

Peter was about to protest but the Sheriff put up his hand to silence him.

“ – **but** I also know what kind of man my son is growing up to be. And if he wants something or someone, he has always had tunnel vision and a laser-like purpose. If you are the choice he has made, there’s little to nothing I can do about it.”

“But?”

“But – if you hurt him, if anything happens to him on your watch – Chris Argent has very kindly provided me with a variety of wolfs-bane bullets and I will use every single one of them on you and watch the results with relish. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.” Peter could appreciate a good threat and the Sheriff was staring him right in the eyes, making sure that Peter knew he was deadly serious. He could see where Stiles got it from. 

“Then I wish you luck, because if that boy is anything like his mother, you are going to have your hands full. Just make sure he finishes school and college, and then – well, I’m sure Stiles will let you know what he wants out of life.”

“Are you two talking about me? My ears are burning!” Without a hint of self-consciousness, Stiles stepped into Peter’s arms, grabbing the coffee mug and taking a sip without asking. 

“Now what makes you think we’re talking about you?”

“Well, my Dad has his hand where his holster normally is and you’re standing as stiff as a board and not in a fun way. Dad – are you giving Peter a hard time?”

“Me? No – I was commiserating with him at how miserable his life is going to be trying to keep you out of mischief!”

“Rude!”

“Yet so true!”

“I’m gonna ring my Mom – she mentioned needing a lift home from the hospital at the end of her shift.”

“You’re just trying to get away from your homework!”

“Can’t hear you – on the phone!” Peter smiled in spite of himself – McCall was irritating but he made Stiles laugh and for that Peter would put up with a lot. The Sheriff drained his mug of coffee before patting his son on the shoulder and heading towards the door.

“I have a shift down at the station – you children play nice! And that includes you, Peter!” With a smile very reminiscent of his son, the Sheriff left and Peter was able to concentrate on the man in his arms. 

“So – you want to play nice?” He shifted his grip to Stiles’ hips, appreciating the small groan he got in response.

“I don’t know – I think I would rather play a little bit dirty if you don’t mind.”

“Oh really?” He lowered his head and gave Stiles a teasing kiss, pulling him closer at the same time. 

“STILES! My Mom isn’t answering her cell and I rang the nurses’ station and they said she didn’t show up for her shift!” All of his charitable thoughts about McCall deserting him, it took Peter a moment to think about what he was saying.

“What time was she meant to be there?”

“Hours ago – she left whilst Stiles and I were at school.”

“Do you think – “

“I don’t know – it could be nothing but – “ As he spoke, the front door was shoved open and Derek came in, blood flowing from a cut on his forehead. “Jesus, Derek, what happened to you?”

“She took Chris!”

* * *


	10. Triskelion & Nemeton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Stiles try to figure out what is going on....
> 
> * * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note: I'm not necessarily following canon for what the nogitsune or Darach can or can't do. I know that on the show, the nogistune was defeated by biting Void!Stiles and changing his state - I also know that Jennifer Blake/Julia wasn't 'dead' as such, or a spirit. So you might have to let go of that bit of canon for this story - hope that doesn't throw you off too much.
> 
> Also, if you are looking at the mini banners I make for the chapters as I write them, just a warning that some of them might be a little bit spoilery so try to read the chapter first, IYKWIM!
> 
> Skar  
> x

“Why Melissa? I mean, you said his Alpha might be able to call out Scott – what’s the point of taking Melissa if they can do that?!” Stiles paced back and forth, chewing on a marker. 

“I said they _might_ be able to – no guarantees.”

“Can we **do** something? If they have my Mom – they could be doing anything – what if they’re – “

Stiles stopped pacing and walked over, grabbing Scott by the shoulders.

“Okay, dude, you need to calm down! Your eyes are glowing and you’re starting to sport some pretty hefty looking teeth there! Didn’t Derek give you some kind of talisman to help you with this stuff?” Scott nodded and grabbed his jacket, pulling out a small disk with a symbol on it. “Okay, there, good – use that – do your mantra – I will figure out how to get your Mom back.”

The bedroom door opened and Derek came in. The cut on his forehead had healed and he had taken the time to wash up in the bathroom, but his shirt had been toast so he was topless. Peter observed with distant amusement that the sight of his muscular nephew wasn’t even a distraction for Stiles, who was working on their ‘murder’ board to incorporate the new information. 

“Stiles – “

“Just grab any shirt that’ll fit, big guy. But maybe not the orange and blue one – I don’t think they’re your colours.” Derek smiled briefly before going over to Stiles dresser to find something to wear.

“We’re missing something – what are we missing? Peter – come over here with your big brain and do some real work.”

Scott’s cell rang and Peter picked it up, seeing from the caller ID that it was Allison.

“Allison – we’re all over at Stiles’ place – there have been some developments that you need to be made aware of.”

“Is that Allison? Good – she can speak to Scott, help him calm down because that mantra seems to be fuck all use.”

“Derek – see if you can help Scott.” Peter ended the call and caught the talisman as Derek threw it in his direction. He turned it over and over in his hand, feeling like there was something right in front of him that he was missing, but not quite sure what. It was there – in front of his face – and he was going to kick himself if he didn’t figure it out. Why Chris and Melissa? What were they missing?

* * *

“Deaton – “

“Not now Marin.”

“Yes – now.” Alan turned to face his sister, knowing what she was going to say. “How sure are you of the ritual you performed?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you performed it, Alan. Anyone within a 30-kilometre radius with even an ounce of knowledge felt what happened. But something went wrong – didn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t say anything went wrong, as such – “

“ALAN! This is no time to be inscrutable – how sure are you that what came back was Laura Hale?”

“I admit, I am not one hundred per cent sure that the ritual worked. Laura was more fractured mentally than I was expecting – it is possible that she may not be quite herself.” Morrell threw her hands up in the air and began pacing back and forth.

“By the Gods, Alan! Do you know what entity – your research into the Nemeton, did it give you any clues as to what may have made the crossing?”

Alan nodded, then walked to his desk and pulled out his journal, flipping to the relevant pages.

“I believe it could be one of two entities, but it depends on so many things.”

“And they are?”

“I had planned for a nogitsune – I have kanima venom and wolf lichen prepared as a sedative – “

“Are you sure a nogitsune could possess an alpha werewolf? I thought it couldn’t possess a host if it was already ‘taken’?”

“It cannot possess that which is changed – Laura was born a wolf, so there was no change. Although, you cannot be a fox _and_ a wolf – that is why we needed one that was weakened. Laura has been losing touch with her wolf – it _should_ have been a simple matter of using that to allow the nogitsune to use her as a vessel.”

“Very well. And you had plans to expel it?”

“I had plans to contain it again, yes.”

“Alan – “

“However, there may have been a sacrifice made at the Nemeton that we were initially unaware of.”

“What are you talking about?”

“From speaking to Kali, I believe there may have been another spirit beneath the Nemeton – one that took advantage of Laura’s mental state to cross over. I am not sure if it overcame the nogitsune, or they were working together but – “

“Working together? Brother, what have you done?”

“I said I wasn’t sure!”

“I am sorry, continue.” Morrell sat down in the chair in front of Alan’s desk and he finally faced his sister full on.

“I believe it could be a Darach.”

“Gods!”

“Things that Laura has said since the sacrifice have made Kali suspicious – she said that on occasion, Laura has known things that she should not. Things that only Kali’s Emissary was privy to.”

“You have brought a Darach to Beacon Hills – given it a host and potentially access to a Nemeton?” 

“I did not have the full information when I began this undertaking – “

“This is not the balance we seek to keep, Alan.” He nodded reluctantly, aware that he was deserving of his sister’s censure. If she would not help him, he wasn’t sure he would be able to preserve Beacon Hills, let alone take possession of the power of the Nemeton.

* * *

“What’s that?”

“Hmm?” Peter looked up from where he was studying the neat lines of Stiles’ murder board. Everything they had been able to learn about Deaton, his sister, Kali and Laura was up there, neatly connected by red lines. Police reports of odd incidents had been added or discarded based on some system that only Stiles seemed to understand, but it was edifying to have a glimpse into how his mind worked. He would be a worthy partner – or opponent – to anyone. Derek had taken Scott out to the back garden to keep him occupied and help restrain him, and Allison was on her way – he did not look forward to telling her what had happened to her father. They had held off from calling the Sheriff until they had something a little more concrete – he had only just returned to light duties.

“Can I have a look?”

“Sure.” He threw the talisman over and watched Stiles as he examined it.

“What does the symbol mean?”

“It is the Hale emblem – the triskelion.”

“I know what it is – I asked what it means, to you guys I mean.”

“It can mean many things – Alpha, Beta, Omega – it can symbolise growth. As children, Talia and I were taught that there has been a Hale on these lands for generations, and as such, the triskelion represents what we are to be to the territory. We must be healers, warriors and guardians, keeping the land and it’s people safe.”

“That’s it! Peter, you are a fucking genius!” Peter was stunned by a smacking kiss from Stiles before he was shoved out of the way and Stiles began to rearrange items on the board. 

“What are you – “ His brain took an intuitive leap as he saw what Stiles was doing, an idea flaring in his mind. “Jesus, they are trying to resurrect the Nemeton – and they are using sacrifices to do it!”

“What the heck is a Nemeton?”

“A big-ass tree that is linked to the land and the current Hale heir! With access to that kind of power – there is a **lot** a druid could do!”

“So, that’s what Deaton and his sister want with Laura? They want to control this Nemeton through her and take control?”

“Yes, but – the Nemeton is neither good nor bad, but when it was full-grown, it proved to be a beacon to many supernatural creatures that were not necessarily peaceful. There were incidents there – things happened – “

“You mean sacrifices?”

“The Nemeton may have accepted them as such.”

“I can’t figure out Kali’s angle?”

“Sharing power with an alpha and a druid is better than being a lone wolf.”

“Wait – you said healers, warriors and guardians?”

“Yes – a true alpha is all three within one.”

“Peter – we need to get hold of my Dad!”

“Chris is the warrior – Melissa the healer – your father is – “

“He’s in danger!”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Drudiedruid for catching some errors for me - I don't have a beta and use grammarly for spelling, punctuation, etc so if you see something, please just let me know in the comments and I will try to fix it
> 
> x


	11. Drifting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing and re-reading this, I kinda feel like I should put some kind of warning but I'm not sure what to warn for. 
> 
> Laura's mental state is fragile and some of this may be triggering so please be kind to yourself and think before you read this. Of course, I could be completely over-estimating how this might make people feel - I think it says more about my mental state than anything.
> 
> Quarantine and self-isolation is proving - challenging.
> 
> Skar  
> x

It was like floating. There was no pain, no loneliness, no – anything. She was still aware of what was going on but it had no effect on her – she could simply be.

She watched dispassionately as Jennifer and Kali met a woman with dark curly hair, kind eyes and an open smile as she was walking into a hospital. She vaguely knew who she was – she had been there when the fire had happened, had been at the hospital when she sat with Derek and listened to them listing all of the members of her family who had died, had told them that Peter’s prognosis wasn’t good. The woman had been kind – had given them hot chocolate and candy from the vending machine, wrapped them in blankets when they couldn’t stop shivering. She wondered what Kali and Jennifer wanted with her.

She turned away when they dragged the woman to a vehicle they had hired. She felt something tugging at her when next she came back to the present – something was calling her. They were in the Preserve – she recognised where they were even though she had never been in that area. 

It was the tree from her dream – the one where she got to speak to her mother again and she had warned Laura, had said she needed to – 

The tree was huge – branches as high as the eye could see, leaves plentiful and a beautiful shade of green. Then it was a stump, ugly, brown, decayed. Jennifer and Kali took the body of the woman beneath the stump to a small area that Laura didn’t recognise. They dumped her there, hands and feet bound so perhaps she was still alive? Or maybe they were making a sacrifice to – the Nemeton? Was that what this was? Was this what Kali wanted her to bond with? 

She knew the stories – she had grown up hearing about the tree that was the very town was named for. It was a beacon to all things supernatural, a well of power that many wanted but few could access. The Hale heir could feel it and use it, but only if they were true to the territory – only if they were warrior, healer and guardian to the town. Laura knew she would never feel it – she wasn’t the right alpha for Beacon Hills – she wasn’t anything any longer. She closed her eyes and drifted.

It was Derek. It felt like an age since she had seen her brother – shouldn’t she _feel_ something? A hint of curiosity about the man he was sitting talking to – they were in an SUV and Derek was smiling. That was nice – he didn’t smile as much as he used to when he was younger, before their family was snatched away. A fleeting feeling of affection and satisfaction when the man pulled Derek into a kiss that was hot and passionate but also caring – her brother was deserving of love. He had kept himself so closed away since they left Beacon Hills – she was almost positive that he had never been in love, had no relationships. That was her fault – she had discouraged him, not wanting him to fall prey to love the way that she had with Kate.

She almost stirred enough to do something when Kali hurt Derek but she saw that he was okay, that they hadn’t damaged him too much. It was much less pain than he could be feeling – the man they dragged away from him seemed to be in so much more pain. He struggled and cursed at them until Kali knocked him out. 

She drifted.

That tugging was back, calling her from the peaceful place where nothing mattered and nothing touched her. 

They were back in the Preserve, back beneath the full-grown, beautiful tree that seemed to be calling Laura towards it, almost pleading with her to acknowledge it, take it into herself and become – whole. 

But she would never be whole again – there was simply too much for her to bear and it was safer, more peaceful where she was. They took the man to be with the curly-haired woman beneath the ugly, decaying stump, throwing water at them. 

She drifted.

She knew this man – she remembered him from – _before_. He wasn’t the same now – his uniform was different, he was in a bigger office. He moved slowly even for his age, favouring one side as though he had been hurt somehow. She watched as Kali spoke to him, said something about his son needing him – it was nice to see how much he cared, how quickly he gathered his things with him and followed them out of the station. She almost wanted to warn him when they reached the car, let him know that everything wasn’t quite as it seemed. 

He was clever though – she saw him reach into his pocket in the back of the vehicle and press buttons on his cell before Kali realised what he was doing. She wanted to help but – it was all too much.

She drifted.

The calling was stronger, the tugging fiercer. The flickering between full-grown beauty and the decaying stump was faster. There was a sense of urgency that hadn’t been there before. She watched as Jennifer and Kali carried the man beneath the tree to be with the others, listened as Jennifer spoke. Somehow, Jennifer did not seem as benevolent now.

“We have our sacrifices, Kali. Soon, the power of the Nemeton will be mine and I will take my place – Deaton thinks he’s going to lead, but that’s not the way it’s going to be. It’s going to be the way I **need** it to be. No one will ever use my love against me again – I will have this territory and I will use the power.” Jennifer turned to face her lover and Laura saw a flash of something cross Kali’s face. Recognition? But how would Kali know Jennifer? Where would she have met her before? “Did you _really_ think you could do what you did and not pay a price for it?”

“Laura – what are you – “

“Are you truly that unaware, my dark angel?”

“Only Julia ever called me – “

“Ah! So you haven’t forgotten me then. Good. Let my face – the face you left me with – be the last thing you see!” Laura didn’t understand the look of horror on Kali’s face, surprised that the other wolf didn’t even try to defend herself from the knife that appeared in Jennifer’s hands. 

The red alpha light bled out of Kali’s eyes much the same as it must have done from her mother’s when she died in the fire. She wondered vaguely if there was someone somewhere who felt the lightning bolt of the alpha power sear through their body, letting them know that their Alpha was no more and that they were the Alpha now. 

She drifted.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, her mother’s voice was speaking to her but the words were so faint it was difficult to hear them.

“Fight, Laura. Fight for your Pack – let the bond and the Nemeton guide you. I love you my darling.”

She drifted.

* * *


	12. Dissent

Derek watched as Scott made another lap around the garden. The young beta’s mind was a scattered mess and trying to get him to concentrate in order to gain control had proved futile. He had decided that exhausting him might help, so in spite of loud protests from Scott, he had the younger man doing laps around the Stilinski’s small garden. 

His own mind was a mess. He had been with Chris when he was taken but had been unable to do anything to stop it from happening. Kali had been strong – as an alpha, much stronger than he was – but it had been Laura that had stopped him in his tracks. He had looked at his sister when he and Chris were dragged out of the SUV and had seen nothing he recognised. It was as though Laura had been hollowed out and whatever remained was not something he knew. It made his skin crawl and it had given the two werewolves the advantage they needed to knock him out and take Chris away.

He and Chris had been on their way back from a shopping trip – the pseudo-pack tended to all eat together, fill each other in on what had happened during the day, brainstorm ideas as to what Deaton, Laura, Kali and Morrell might be up to. But Chris had pulled over on the way to the shops, turning to Derek in the closeness of the vehicle.

* * *

“Derek – I need you to be honest with me – tell me if I am way-off in what I’m thinking.” Derek nodded, a little confused as to where the conversation was going. “I think that you and I – there is something there. Something more than working together?”

Derek nodded again, still not sure what Chris was alluding to. Since they had shared that hot stare a few days ago, they had backed off from each other – he had assumed that Chris wasn’t truly interested and as he had little to no experience when it came to such relationships, he had done nothing.

“In all my years as a hunter, I have learned to out-think and out-manoeuvre many foes. But I can’t seem to figure out what you’re thinking, feeling. I know this situation with your sister is difficult, and maybe this isn’t the time, but – I don’t know what your plans are when this is all over. I don’t know if you’re leaving Beacon Hills again, if you and Peter are planning to establish a pack here – “

“I don’t want to leave.” The words seemed torn from him and he shifted uneasily in his seat. 

“Good. That’s good to know. Can I ask – am I, perhaps, just a small part of the reason why you don’t want to leave?” Derek forced himself to stop staring at Chris’s lips and concentrate on what he was saying. 

“Of course.” Chris sighed in obvious frustration.

“There’s no of course about it! Derek – do you realise what you look like? You’re so much younger than me, you could have anyone you wanted – I – “

Unable to stand the unusual lack of confidence coming from Chris, Derek lunged forward, smashing their lips together. Chris froze and for a moment Derek was convinced he had read everything completely wrong. About to pull back, he was stopped by the feel of Chris’s arms wrapping around him, trying to tug him closer despite the seatbelt keeping him in place. The kiss was clumsy, teeth clashing, lips misaligned, but it felt like he could finally breathe, like this was where he was meant to be. 

Chris took control of the kiss, shifting Derek’s head to where he wanted it to be, pressing him back into the seat and leaning over him. He smelled like something Derek wanted to roll around in, but at the same time he liked how it felt that he was confined to the seat by his seatbelt; he liked how Chris was completely in control and Derek was able to let everything go and just be. 

“God, the taste of you – “ Chris muttered against his lips, hands clutching Derek’s face tightly. “The things I want to do to you – I – I have never felt such a need in my entire life.”

“Is that a good thing?” Feeling vulnerable, Derek forced himself to meet Chris’s gaze, mesmerised by the passion and desire in those bright blue eyes. 

“Yes – it’s a very good thing. I just need to make sure that it’s what you want too – I don’t want to take advantage or do anything you don’t want.”

“You can do anything you want to me.”

“With you – not _to_ you. We are in this together – right?” That voice washed over him like warm honey, caressing his ears, teasing his senses, blocking out the rest of the world. Maybe this was another reason why he was so inexperienced – other people had made him aware of their attraction to him, but it had all been about how he looked, what they wanted – none of them had seemed to want to be in something together. Laura had warned him that people were dangerous and users and that love could be a trap – he could understand why she had felt that now, but at the time he had merely accepted that his sister was trying to keep him safe. “Jesus, we need to get this shit sorted because I cannot wait to spend some time with you – just you.” 

Derek nodded, pleased beyond measure that what he had been feeling for Chris was reciprocated – his life had seemed to be one battle after another and to have something to look forward to felt amazing. 

“Derek – this isn’t – I’m not experimenting with you if that’s what you’re thinking. I know I was married and most people assume that I’m straight, but I’m bisexual. I didn’t want you to be wondering – “

“Things like that don’t mean much to werewolves. We just – we’re with who we want to be with. It’s instinctual. You please all of my senses so it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. I don’t care.”

Chris nodded, a pleased expression crossing his face. 

“I like how honest you are – that you just say what you feel. I thought you were this impenetrable fortress of silence, but really you’re just waiting for someone to listen to you, aren’t you?”

“I’m a beta – I’m used to doing what I’m told.”

“You have no idea how that sounded in my head.” Derek tilted his head, scenting the air. Chris was aroused by what Derek had said, more so than he had been before.

“You want to be in control of me.”

“I want to control your pleasure – I want – I want to show you things, teach you things – the list of things I want is growing by the second.”

“I like that – I like that a lot.”

“We need to get the shopping done, but sometime today, Derek, I am going to find a place where your Uncle and Stiles are not getting to know each other, and I’m going to kiss you properly.”

“That wasn’t a proper kiss?”

“Oh no – I want to give you a kiss that makes your eyes flash amber and makes you struggle to maintain control. I want to take you apart and make you _feel_ so many things.”

It was all that Derek could do to keep breathing, his jeans too tight, his heart thumping in his chest. Chris’s face blurred in his vision as the other man leaned down and kissed him again, driving all thoughts out of his mind.

The car doors being wrenched open had been a shock and he had scrambled to figure out what was going on. Laura was pulling Chris out of the car, but not a Laura he recognised – she didn’t even smell like his Alpha. A brown-skinned, dark-haired woman was dragging him out of the car, slicing through the seatbelt as if it was nothing. He was thrown to the ground, his head hitting a rock. Before he could get his feet under him and do anything, Chris was being dragged away towards another car. He was cursing and fighting every step of the way and Derek made an abortive attempt to follow and help him. 

“I don’t think so, Pup.” Red eyes flashed in his vision before a blow to his head sent him crashing to the ground as he lost consciousness.

* * *

”You were with my father when he was taken – why should I believe that you weren’t colluding with your sister? Give me one good reason.” Derek looked up, stunned to see Allison had appeared in the garden without him being aware of her presence. She was stood far enough away he couldn’t get to her easily, a bow and arrow held competently in her hands. And she was aiming that bow at him.

* * *


	13. Establishing Dominance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is either the third or fourth chapter today, so make sure you've read the ones before otherwise this won't make any sense whatsoever!
> 
> * * *

“Allison – what are you doing?”

“It’s okay, Scott – “ Derek held his hand out, cautioning the younger man from coming within range.

“I want to know what you had to do with the kidnapping of my father.”

“Allison – you can’t possibly – “ Ignoring his warning hand, Scott stepped closer, sounding confused by Allison’s statement.

“I can and I do! I want answers! I’ve been reading my grandfather’s journals and I **know** werewolves aren’t the cuddly, harmless _beings_ you guys have tried to make them out to be! And I can’t help but notice that you were alone with my father when he was taken unawares and kidnapped! So, I’ll ask you again, Derek – what did you have to do with what happened to my father? Why were you with him when he was taken?”

“We were talking – “

“You’re lying!”

“Alli – please – “

“Stay out of this, Scott!”

“What the fucking hell do you think you’re doing?!” Peter’s voice rang clearly across the garden and Derek winced, half expecting Allison to fire reflexively. He would lay money on her arrows having wolfs-bane as part of their construction. 

“He was the only person with my father when he was taken – I want to know if he had something to do with it.”

“Oh for God’s sake – Stiles has just found out his father has been taken – do you _really_ think we would have had anything to do with that?”

“I don’t know what to think!!” Allison turned slightly so that she could try to keep both Derek and Peter within her sights. “Why were they alone?”

“Because they’ve been eye-fucking for days and I was sick of Chris not having the balls to man up and take what he wanted!” 

“Uncle Peter!” 

“What – what are you talking about?”

“Are you really that blind, little girl? Your father wants Derek – Derek wants your father. In this shit-show of a town, you grab any happiness you can, whenever you can. So I deliberately sent them off together in the hopes that a little proximity and privacy would enable them to do something about how they felt. So, if you want to blame anyone for Chris being taken, then blame me.” Peter’s eyes flashed blue and Derek realised he was rapidly running out of patience. He hoped Allison saw sense before that happened – Peter’s temper had been legendary even before the fire – somehow Derek didn’t think spending six years in a coma was going to have improved that. “Now, I suggest you stop aiming that little toy of yours at me and my pack members before I take it away from you and shove it up your ass! Or were you planning on taking over where your aunt left off?”

“Don’t you talk to her like that!” Scott roared at Peter and Derek cursed inwardly. This could go nowhere good.

“I’ll speak to her any god-damned way I like while she has her head up her ass! And you better watch yourself – unless you can control your shift, you are no good to any of us! If you want to help save your mother – yes, remember her, or have you completely forgotten in your hormone-induced rage that she was taken too? Get it under control!” Cowed, Scott stepped backwards, features melting back to normal from his beta form. 

Allison still looked confused but at least she had lowered her bow. Derek took a deep breath, knowing that he needed to get through to her. 

“Your father and I – we – I – “

“Oh for God’s sake! What Derek is trying to say in his eloquent manner is that he cares for your father and would never do anything to hurt him. And, from everything I know of Chris, the feeling is mutual. So you have some adjustments to make and you need to make them quickly because we need to work together to get our people back, and the last thing I want to be worried about it getting an arrow in the back. Now, if you three have finished playing patty-cake out here, Stiles needs me – and we need to start planning. Alright?” 

They followed Peter back into the house, warily giving each other space. Stiles was pacing around the living room as Derek walked in behind Peter. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t put it together before now – I could have stopped him from leaving earlier. He’s barely over getting shot and now this – “

Peter immediately went over to him, pulling him into a rough hug. Derek looked away to give them some privacy as he saw the tears glinting in Stiles’ eyes. Sometimes it seemed like getting involved with any of the Hales only led to pain and anguish, and he wondered momentarily if Chris would be better off without him. 

Allison stepped into the room behind him, avoiding his gaze as she moved to the couch. He noticed that when Scott tried to follow her, she shook her head and he wondered if there was trouble in paradise. If Allison had read Gerard Argent’s journals, she would no doubt be feeling confused about all of this and with her father missing, she was feeling rudderless. She might feel sympathy for Scott being turned against his will but that didn’t mean she wanted to continue her relationship with him. 

Scott stood awkwardly near the doorway, looking at Allison with longing in his eyes even as he obeyed her silent directive. Peter was whispering something to Stiles but Derek deliberately prevented himself from listening in – he didn’t need to know what Peter was saying to enable Stiles to pull himself together. 

“What should you have worked out before now? What’s this about your Dad? You said you’d figure this out, Stiles – “ Cursing Scott’s inability to think about anyone other than himself and Allison, Derek turned to tell him to shut up when the doorbell went. Peter instantly pushed Stiles behind him, eyes flashing blue.

“Scott, answer that – carefully. Allison, aim your weapon at the doorway – Derek, guard the entrance.”

Derek walked to the front door, sliding into position so that when the door opened he would be hidden behind it. Derek scowled when Scott didn’t even bother to check the peephole, merely yanked the door open.

“Deaton!”

“Scott. Are you going to let me in?”

“I – you – “

“I need to speak to Peter Hale, Scott – sooner rather than later. It would appear that we have a common enemy and time is running out.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't hate Scott as much as it might seem - I just don't think he should have been the main protagonist. So, I apologise for making him seem weak and led by his dick/heart - it's just, that's how I see him - LMAO!
> 
> * * *


	14. Transitory and Eternal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know a lot about the druid religion, so please understand that I have basically just made shit up. I hope I don't offend anyone and ask that you remember this is a work of fiction - although the werewolves should give that away!
> 
> * * *

Before anyone could prevent him, Scott allowed Deaton into the house. 

“What the fuck, Scott? Do you have the preservation instincts of a god-damned lemming or something?” Derek shouted at the younger man, slamming the front door.

“I intend no harm,” Deaton said as he walked warily into the living area.

“He didn’t know that!” Scott looked vaguely embarrassed but blustered out a reply.

“I told you – there’s no way Dr Deaton is involved in any of this! He’ll explain – won’t you?”

“I’m sorry, Scott – there is much I wish I could discuss with you but – at the moment, we are all facing a rather dire situation that may take a combination of our forces to rectify.”

“Are you saying – do you mean they’re right? You’re some kind of druid?”

“I am, indeed, a druid. My remit, if you will, is to maintain the balance – of all things. That does, however, mean that sometimes I have to stand back and allow things to happen that many would consider abhorrent.”

“Let’s hear him out,” Stiles said, standing by Peter’s side. 

“Stiles – “

“We need to know what he’s fucked up so badly that he’s coming to us for assistance – you know he wouldn’t be here if anything that had happened was to his benefit.” Peter nodded his acceptance but privately resolved to have a word with the Druid at a later date – they might need to work together now, but that would not always be the case.

* * *

“I was the Hale Emissary – a position that passed down through the generations. Druids are – transitory and eternal – “

“Well, that’s a contradiction in terms if ever I heard one!” Stiles muttered under his breath.

“I mean, we are always there yet all of us end. We accept our role within the supernatural community, knowing that there are a natural ebb and flow to things. Where there is prey, there will be a hunter. Nature requires balance, a regression to the mean.”

“What does that mean?” Scott looked confused.

“It means that whatever happens, eventually things settle down to a sort of ‘happy’ medium – where there is darkness, there is light.” Scott nodded although he still did not appear to understand fully what Deaton was alluding to. “The territory was at peace, but there was an underlying hum that boded ill. As you are no doubt aware, the Nemeton was destroyed many years ago – it was a decision made in haste, without proper consideration for what it would mean. Six years ago, things began to – unravel.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Alpha Pack.” Peter stared at Deaton, his lips pursed angrily, a twitch of his eye betraying his inner agitation.

“Yes, just so. Deucalion and his pack had amassed too much power and were causing disturbance. He had just been joined by Kali – in an act so treacherous as to be considered unthinkable, she murdered not only her pack but her Emissary.”

“Are you trying to say that it was all good and fine when she killed her pack, but her Emissary was a step too far?”

“I can only report what it known – others will interpret as they see fit.”

“God, I hate your double-speak!” Only Stiles’ hand on his arm prevented Peter from going with his first instincts, which had been to impale the Druid and toss away his useless corpse.

“Her Emissary was Julia Baccari – or Jennifer Blake depending on what aspect of her life you were part of. Somehow, Julia managed to get to the Nemeton where she was accepted as a sacrifice.”

“Accepted by what?”

“By the Nemeton.”

“Don’t worry, Scott, I’ll explain it to you later. Go on,” Stiles encouraged Deaton to continue.

“To maintain the balance, the earth demanded an equitable sacrifice.”

“The Hales.” Deaton nodded. “Could you have stopped it from happening?”

“Stiles – “

“Answer his question!” Peter rapped out.

“I was witness to the act that enabled the territory to remain relatively peaceful for the last six years.” Peter exploded to his feet, claws out, ready to strike but Derek caught him, dragging him away from Deaton and pushing him against the wall.

“Are you saying you were there when my family died? You stood ‘witness’ to the slaughter of our entire Pack and did _nothing_?”

“Our task is to observe and maintain the balance – it was not my duty to intervene.”

“You complete bastard.”

“As I said, others may interpret things differently, but we can only act as guided by our tenets. However, the sacrifice was too powerful – the Nemeton has been growing and stretching out its tendrils, searching for a balancing influence.”

“A Hale heir.”

“That is correct. Laura’s return was required to bring the territory back to its natural state. Unfortunately, with everything that has happened, she is – unstable. Her mental state allowed Kali to convince her that to bond properly with the Nemeton, she needed to undergo a ritual – during which, her mental state meant that she was vulnerable to possession.”

“What the actual fuck?!”

“Laura has been possessed by at least one entity, potentially two.”

“Jesus Christ, Deaton, what fucking use are you? You allowed this to happen? Or you facilitated it? Did you think you would be able to control her, is that it? Did you think you would finally get your grubby hands onto the power of the Nemeton and use it for your own _grand_ design?” Peter shrugged off Derek’s restraining grip, once more in control of himself. 

“What are these entities? What are we facing?”

“We believe that Laura has been possessed by the spirit of Julia Baccari – who through her circumstances has become a Darach, a dark druid.”

“And the other possible entity?”

“A nogitsune – a dark force that exists for chaos. If we do not do something before she performs the ritual sacrifice of the warrior, healer and guardian, I am afraid Laura will become unstoppable.”

“Wow, when you fuck things up you go all out, don’t you?!”

* * *


	15. More trust issues

She ran. 

She needed to get to Derek, to Peter. She needed to be with her Pack.

There was blood on her hands and she was in a part of the Preserve that she didn’t recognise – she couldn’t remember how she had got here or what she had been doing. Her instincts were screaming at her that she needed to be with people who could ground her before she did something she couldn’t come back from. 

Throwing back her head, she howled for her pack.

* * *

“What the hell was that?”

“You heard that?” Peter stared at Stiles, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. The last time he had heard a sound like that, his entire family had been dying around him. The fact that Stiles could hear it too was – disturbing and confusing. 

“Didn’t everyone?” Stiles looked around the table and Peter did the same. Derek was wearing the same haunted expression that was no doubt on his face; Scott was oblivious, staring at Allison mournfully as she studiously ignored him. 

“Scott – go and check on Deaton, make sure he’s – comfortable – in his bonds. Allison, perhaps you would be so good as to bring me one of your Grandfather’s journals – don’t try to pretend that you don’t have it with you. It might contain something useful about what we’re facing.” As a method of getting rid of Scott and Allison, it was a tad transparent but Peter didn’t have time for subtlety. Once they had left the room, he turned to Stiles. “What did you hear?”

“It sounded like a scream – or maybe a calling? I don’t know – it’s hard to describe. I just – it sounded so forlorn and scared – it pulled at my chest. Are you going to stop looking at me like I’m some kind of freak and tell me what’s going on?”

“It was Laura.” Derek’s face was sombre.

“What?”

“That was Laura – I know the thing I saw wasn’t her, but that sound – that howl – that was my alpha calling me. Calling the whole Pack to come.”

“Then, how come Scott didn’t hear it?”

“We don’t know who bit him – whether it was Laura or Kali.”

“Right, got ya. So, should I not have heard it?”

“It’s not _usual_ for the human members of the Pack to be able to hear the call. And your link to Laura is tenuous as you have never really met her. I wonder – once this is all over, we might want to look into your family history – on your mother’s side.”

“Okay – well you keep being all cryptic because it’s not as if we don’t have enough of that with our resident vet and all. What are we going to do about that calling? If it was Laura, maybe she’s fighting this thing? Maybe she needs us – she might even lead us to where she’s keeping my Dad, Chris and Melissa!”

“Calm down, Stiles! Although that’s not a bad idea, we don’t know if that is what she’s doing. She could be trying to lead us into a trap. With the full moon tomorrow night, our instincts are closer to the surface.”

“Fair enough. This Nemeton – so you _really_ have no idea where it is? You said it’s a giant ass tree!”

“It is a big-ass tree, but it also has a mystical aspect to it. The Hale Alpha and the Emissary are the ones who feel the pull normally, although there have been times in the past when it has hidden from everyone. I think – after it was chopped down, it hid for a very long time. It makes sense that they needed Laura to find the Nemeton, and for the sacrifices to be taken there. I’m just not one hundred per cent sure how we go about finding it. A lot of our family history was destroyed in the fire – we might find something in the family vault.”

“So I get to see this vault then? Derek wouldn’t take me there before.”

“Because I knew you would get distracted by everything that’s in there – you’re a magpie, Stiles, and seeing all of that history in one place would have been like a dragon’s hoard to you!”

“Fair point, big guy. Hey – what’s taking Scott so long?” 

“Oh shit!” By the time Peter had made it to the spare room where they had been stashing Deaton, the vet and Scott were gone.

* * *

“What’s happening to me?” Deaton looked at Scott briefly before returning his eyes to the road. Going to the Stilinski house had been an error, although it might actually prove to be fortuitous.

“It is a very rare thing indeed, Scott – I’ve read about it, but it’s been over a hundred years.”

“I don’t even know why I’m listening to you, let alone why I let you out of the Stilinski house.”

“Because you can sense our link, Scott. Our relationship is a strong one – and you know, deep down, that you can trust me. You know that sometimes the hard choices have to be made. Show me your eyes again.” Scott turned and obediently showed his eyes, and Deaton noted the pale, flickering redness. “You are becoming an alpha.”

“How can **I** be an alpha?”

“It’s a very rare thing – it’s called a True Alpha. A Beta or an Omega can become an alpha through strength of character, or might of will-power – **you** are a True Alpha, Scott.”

“What does that even _mean_?”

“If you let me help you, be your emissary, it means we may be able to handle Laura together – and make Beacon Hills a safe place for everyone.” 

“Are you sure we shouldn’t involve Stiles? I mean – it’s his Dad and – “

“Stiles is too involved with the Hales. Remember, Laura is the one who took your mother – do you really want to trust her family members to put _your_ mother’s safety over their sister?”

“Okay, yeah – you’re right. Let’s get to the clinic.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My contempt for the entire concept of a 'True' Alpha might be bleeding through here, just a little!
> 
> * * *


	16. Convergence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all know I hate trying to write action scenes - here, have 1500 words of uncoordinated fighting!
> 
> * * *

”So – I just, let you hold me under this and – what? This Nemeton reveals itself to me?”

“That’s right – its a transformation, a heightening of your senses. Laura couldn’t cope with it because she was too weak, but you, Scott – just the fact that you have risen to the position of Alpha proves that you’re the right person to bond with the Nemeton.”

“And – I won’t be possessed, right? Nothing will try to take me over?”

“No – there should be no possession. We must hurry, Scott – the Hales will be coming and will want this for themselves. You want to save your mother don’t you?”

“Yes – of course, I do.”

“Then, just trust me – you’ve always trusted me in the past.” Scott nodded, then slowly climbed into the tub of ice water. He shivered but remained resolute, sitting down, his arms over the side. “Ready?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He felt Deaton’s hands on his shoulders pushing him down and reluctantly, he released his grip on the side of the tub and allowed himself to be pushed underneath the freezing cold water.

* * *

The bonnet of the car was still hot so they had only recently arrived. The door had been left open in their haste. The sense of urgency was overwhelming – she had no idea how long she would be in control for. She only knew she couldn’t allow him to do this to anyone else.

* * *

“I can’t believe I finally get to drive in your dick-substitute and I’m cramped in the back.” Derek didn’t say anything, knowing that Stiles was rambling out of nervousness. Peter’s attention was not in the vehicle, concentrating completely on the tugging sensation that was affecting them. “Allison – do you think your grandfather was bat-shit crazy based on this stuff, or do you really think that Scott and the others are nothing more than base animals?”

“Stiles – “

“No, no – serious question. If you had walked in on him experimenting on people chained up to electricity based on the fact that they had slightly different DNA, would you have thought that was okay? I mean, I know I’m scared shitless right now and we’re facing something that would normally make me hide under my bed hugging my baseball bat, but I would really like to know before we go into this – are you an Argent like Chris or are you an Argent like Kate?”

“How can you ask me that?”

“I think it’s a fair question.” Derek kept his tone mild.

“You held a bow and arrow to this guy not a couple of hours ago, based on reading some stuff that would not have been out of place in Mengele’s daily journals!”

“Jesus – I – how can you compare – “

“Real easy, actually. I’ve **seen** your aunt in action – I know how she saw Derek when she cuffed him to a chain-link fence and sent enough electricity through his veins to kill someone who wasn’t a supe. And she laughed while she did it. Really easy, because she killed men, women and children – some of whom were human – who had done **nothing** wrong just because she decided they were less than her when by any definition, her actions meant that if anyone was inhumane, it was her. So I ask you again – which type of Argent are you?”

“Turn left here, Derek. And I sense you need to hurry.”

“They’re at the vet's.”

“Then put your foot down – despite how entertaining it is listening to Stiles eviscerate every weak argument young Ms Argent may come up with, I really feel that our pack-mate _needs_ us there sooner rather than later.”

* * *

It was a scene out of her nightmares. Deaton was holding a boy under the water, his face set in a determined mask. She **knew** how that felt, the sensation of the water filling her lungs, the overwhelming cold, the desperate instinct to do anything for it to end. She lashed out, catching the vet across the face and sending him spinning away into a wall. 

The boy rose from the water in a rush, roaring at her as his eyes flashed a weak shade of red. She didn’t have time to deal with him, Deaton already pushing himself to stand. She staggered slightly under the shock of pain in her head, that dark, ugly presence fighting to take over again and Deaton took his chance, throwing something at her. She felt pain in her torso, looking down to see a scalpel sticking out of her chest. 

From behind, the boy attacked her clumsily, shoving her forwards, but she corrected her footing and turned around swiftly, a backhand sending him slipping in some of the spilt water and landing on the ground. She turned back to Deaton who had come up behind her, gasping as she felt him push the scalpel in deeper. Refusing to give in to the pain, she grabbed him around the throat, watching dispassionately as he struggled weakly, his eyes widening as he realised that she didn’t intend to stop. 

She shrugged off the boy when he tried to force her to release her hands, squeezing Deaton’s throat harder and harder. She moved forwards until she was holding Deaton up against the wall, ignoring the screaming voice in her head. She needed to see this, whatever came afterwards. She needed him to pay for all that he had done and not done; for the damage he had caused to her family and herself. She would never be a proper alpha now – the Nemeton would never truly be within her grasp and she accepted that. But she was taking Deaton with her.

“Laura!!” Derek’s voice made her turn to face him as he, Peter, and two people she didn’t recognise ran into the room. 

“Derek – I’m sorry.”

“Laura – you don’t have to do this. There’s another way.” Deaton batted weakly at her arms but she ignored his struggles as she spoke to her brother. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two strangers go to the boy and help him to his feet but they were not her concern. One of them – the boy – tugged at something in her chest, but the other felt too much like Kate to her overwrought senses. 

“No – there isn’t.” Turning back to Deaton who had been regaining his breath, Laura twisted her hands and snapped his neck. She let his body fall to the ground, turning to face her brother and uncle properly. “Uncle Peter – I – “

“Hello, Laura.”

“I don’t know how long I’m can stay in control for – this Jennifer is _so_ strong – “

“It’s okay, Laura – your Pack is here now.”

“You’re not normally this nice, Uncle Peter.” She slumped slightly, the pain in her torso making her gasp and wonder if Deaton had managed to pierce a lung. She looked down to see black lines spreading through her veins rapidly. “I think Deaton may have laced his little knife with something special.”

She took a step towards Peter, stumbling and falling. Before she hit the ground, Peter and Derek were by her side, helping her to lie down. Her breathing was becoming more difficult, her mind beginning to fog. There was something she needed to tell them, something important but it was so hard.

“She killed Deaton!”

“She could have killed you but she didn’t – but dude, you fucking deserve a good murdering! What were you thinking? You trusted him after everything he said?!”

“He told me – he said that I was a True Alpha – that I could save my Mom and your Dad and Allison’s Dad – I just wanted to do the right thing?”

“Is he always such a dumb-ass?” Laura was pleased by the small smile that spread over Derek’s face as he held her close, the thumping sound of his heartbeat a reassuring sound over the screaming in her head. 

“Yeah, kinda. You should see him when he’s paying attention to Allison – his IQ drops, like, 40 points.”

“Jesus – at least I’m not responsible for him. That choice was _all_ on Kali. Oh my God, Kali – Derek, I – “

“It’s okay – it’s pretty obvious what happened to Kali. Someone will have to tell Scott that he’s an Alpha by accident rather than because he’s a special little werewolf.”

“This may hurt, Laura.” Peter came back into view, a small dish holding black powder and a lighter in his hand. He pushed aside her shirt, yanking out the scalpel and tossing it to the floor. The wound was ugly, the black lines showing starkly against the paleness of her skin. The lines were headed directly to her heart and she knew she didn’t have long. 

“Oh, shit – I saw Mom do this once. Any chance one of you could knock me out first?” 

“You did say you knew I wasn’t _that_ nice,” Peter smirked down at her before mashing the black powder into the wound on her chest and lighting it. Pain arced through her and the last thing she saw was her pack mates.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I apologise for the general lack of torture and pain suffered by a certain character - seriously, I really did want to skin him alive, salt his body, and leave him hanging in a pig-pen for them to consume but it didn't work out that way. Maybe next time! 
> 
> x
> 
> * * *


	17. Finding the Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deaton is gone, but how do they find the rest of the Pack?
> 
> * * *

“What are we going to do about him?” Stiles looked at the body of Deaton with distaste and Peter mirrored that emotion. He admitted to himself that a part of him wished that Deaton had faced much worse than a broken neck, but he would accept that the man was dead – that would have to do.

“I will deal with it.” They all turned at the voice but Peter recovered first, stepping in front of Stiles instinctively to protect him from the unknown potential threat.

“Marin Morrell I presume.” She nodded her reply as she stepped further into the room. “So why exactly should we trust you?”

“There are several reasons. Firstly, the druids owe the Hales a debt – and it is not a small one. The second is that your niece cannot fight the Darach forever – she is strong, much stronger than she realises but Jennifer is a determined spirit. And finally – what choice do you have? You will need a druid to find the Nemeton and your other pack members – or did you intend to let them die?”

“You bitch!” Peter managed to catch Stiles as he lunged past him to get at her, pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Well, you’re right on all counts. But how can you be sure that the possession is the Darach and not this nogitsune that Deaton told us about?”

“To show you, I will need you to step away from Laura.” Morrell paused, taking the time to look at each of them in turn. “I know that you have no real reason to trust me, but please believe that I take the balance very seriously. What has happened here has tipped the scales too far in one direction – I am here to ensure that it is tipped back as necessary.”

“But we can’t trust you past this balancing point, right?” Derek stood up after laying his sister down carefully.

“That is correct. I will help – to a point.”

“And past that point?” Peter asked.

“Past that point and I will step back. But as I said – we owe you a debt.”

“Step back from Laura but be ready for anything,” Peter instructed and they all obeyed. Morrell took a vial from her pocket and removed the lid. “What’s that?”

“It is mistletoe – it will disrupt the glamour and enable us to see the Darach as she truly is – at the moment, both she and Laura are dormant.” Stepping forward, Morrell tossed the contents of the vial over Laura and a fine mist enveloped her. Peter could not hold back a small gasp as he saw the twisted, scarred form that seemed to be superimposed over his niece momentarily. He could barely believe she had the strength to fight that, let alone overcome it enough to prevent Deaton from causing more damage. 

“What do we do now?” 

“We need to confine her – I believe Chris Argent has cells beneath his house that should prove sufficient.”

“Cells?”

“Ms Argent – are you not ready to accept the reality of the life you are part of? You are fighting to believe that your family are a good influence but why do you insist on disbelieving the truth in front of your eyes? There is a large stain on the Argents that it will take a lot of work to clear – I would be willing to help you once this is over but only if you are prepared to accept the truth, and not the writings of a man out of time. Your grandfather would have been better suited to life within the Spanish Inquisition than living in these times – his methods were extreme and he caused much damage to the balance. I know it is difficult to hear, but you need to move past this quickly or you too will be lost.”

Allison looked devastated by Morrell’s statement but Peter could feel little sympathy for her. That young girl was a time-bomb waiting to happen if she wasn’t taken in hand and he intended on speaking to Chris about her. Stiles seemed to agree, ignoring Allison and Scott as he turned to Peter and Derek.

“Let’s go – I want my Dad found sooner rather than later.”

* * *

Jennifer looked around confused. The last thing she could recall was Laura pushing her out of control and sprinting through the Preserve – what the hell had happened? Looking up at the moonlit sky, she realised that she was running out of time. 

Using the full strength of the werewolf body she currently controlled, she ran towards the Nemeton.

* * *

“This fucking better work.”

“Scott – will you **please** shut the fuck up!” 

“I’m just saying – this is exactly what Deaton said **you** guys would do – he said saving Laura would be more important than saving my Mom and – “ 

“You say _one more word_ and I swear to God, Scott, I will end you myself! You almost cost my Dad his life by running off with Deaton just because he told you how special you were! When will you fucking learn that no-one in the Pack is more important than the other – we live together, we die together! If anything happens to my Dad because of your actions, I’ll – “ Peter finally managed to pull Stiles off of McCall, shoving him forwards to where Derek, Morrell and Allison were following the trail left behind by the Darach. 

“Once we have the others back safe and sound, we’ll deal with McCall. In the meantime, sweetheart, keep your head in the game. We **are** going to get your father back – and Chris and the lovely Melissa. Okay?” Stiles stared into his eyes as if searching Peter’s gaze for the truth of his statement before nodding and moving forward of his own volition. Peter could hear Scott tripping along behind them but he didn’t turn to see his progress – part of him wished that Laura had not been quite as merciful to the young wolf.

* * *

Melissa coughed as more earth fell onto her and Noah struggled harder with his bonds. Chris had fallen silent far too long ago and Noah hadn’t yet managed to get free to check on anything. Despite his previous thoughts, it appeared that Laura and Kali had been a little more thorough tying him up than he realised. Another minor tremor shook their surroundings, more earth falling down on them. He was beginning to worry that they wouldn’t need to worry about being sacrificed – they could well find themselves buried alive.

* * *

The stump of the Nemeton glowed in the small clearing and she felt the call to it within her bones. Slowing to a walk, she looked up at the fullness of the moon, fighting against the desire to change. She couldn’t complete the sacrifice as a werewolf, not if she wanted to retain control of this body. Moving to the entrance to the small space beneath the stump, she heard noises behind her, turning to see the Hales, Stiles, Scott and Allison emerging from the trees behind her. She was surprised that they had managed to find the Nemeton but she was not going to allow anything to stop her – not when she was so close to everything she had wanted for so long.

“There is nothing you can do to me – not if you wish to save your sister’s life.”

“As if you intend to allow Laura to live after this.” She recognised the man as Peter Hale from Laura’s memories, knew what the young werewolf had allowed to happen. 

“Do you really want her to live? After she left you to the tender mercies of Kate Argent? I would imagine you would see this as justice – Laura is paying for her mistakes. Did you know it was her who told Kate **everything** she needed to know to murder your entire family?” She stepped warily sideways as Peter moved closer. Her instinctive fear of werewolves after what Kali had done to her momentarily made her forget that she had weapons of her own at her disposal, and she was an Alpha – Peter was merely a beta. “Come and face your death then, Peter Hale. Once I’ve dealt with you, I’ll kill the rest of them and make my sacrifice to the moon – this territory will be mine.”

With a roar, Peter rushed at her and she allowed the change to overtake her, the power of the werewolf within thrumming through her veins as she faced his challenge.

* * *


	18. Hale Pack Assemble!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hale Pack fight to save their Pack, Laura and Beacon Hills
> 
> * * *

Peter felt Derek at his side as he surged forward, the power of the moon fuelling his body as his eyes flashed and his claws emerged. As one unit, they powered into Jennifer, driving her backwards and away from the entrance to the Nemeton. She shrieked as their first blows landing, obviously unused to being a werewolf as she slashed erratically at them both. 

Peter reeled from a slash of her claws to his face, momentarily blinded by blood. He knew only having Derek at his side prevented her from landing a killing blow as he fell backwards, swiping at his eyes to enable himself to see. Seeing Derek struggling to hold her off, he moved forward once more.

* * *

Adrenaline surging through his veins, Stiles rushed forwards as soon as the entrance was clear, pushing dirt and sticks out of his way as he battled to get into the small cave. 

“Dad! DAD!”

“Here, kiddo – about time you showed up!” A huge wave of relief crashed over Stiles as he stumbled over a body, ignoring the revulsion he felt as he pushed it aside. “Stiles – the roof is caving in!”

Thinking quickly, Stiles shoved his baseball bat into the ground, using the top of the handle to hold up the earth above his head. Working with his father, he pulled Melissa towards the entrance, grateful to see that Scott had actually followed directions and was there to help drag her out. 

“Now you Dad.”

“No – Chris is in worse shape than me.” Infuriated by his father’s refusal whilst admiring his dedication, Stiles helped pull the unconscious figure of Chris out of the cave. His father followed, pushing past Kali’s body. As they cleared the entrance, Stiles saw his baseball bat finally give under the strain of the weight it was carrying, snapping in half and allowing the rest of the earth to tumble down and cover the hole. They fell to the ground in a heap, breathing heavily. Stiles could see that Allison had immediately gone to her father, checking his breathing and for injuries.

“Took my time did I, old man? I wasn’t the one who let myself get captured.”

“ _Let_ – humph! I wasn’t going to risk the two of them going all claws and fangs in the station – besides, I sent you a message didn’t I?”

“Yeah, yeah – unfortunately for you, this great hulking stump stopped me tracking your phone so – maybe next time consider sending coordinates?” They looked at each other for a moment, before falling into each other’s arms. “Jesus Christ, Dad, I was so fucking scared!”

“Language.” The tight grip the Sheriff had on him belied his chiding tone, and Stiles closed his eyes as he tried to let go of the fear that had almost crippled him since his father had been taken. “I knew you would get here – I had no doubt in my mind that you would be the one coming through that cave door. Besides, Pack looks after Pack, right?”

“Yeah, Dad – Pack.”

* * *

Despite her lack of familiarity fighting as a werewolf, Jennifer was an alpha, and the blows she was able to land were slow to heal. Out of the corner of his eye, Peter checked on Derek who had taken a particularly vicious slash to the shoulder but he could see his nephew doggedly to his feet. 

“We’re clear!” Stiles' voice was loud in the clearing, the agreed-upon signal enough to give Peter renewed strength.

“NO!” Jennifer screamed out her rage and frustration, trying her best to beat Peter backwards. As she gripped his arms and yanked him close, Peter could see the change come over her.

“Laura?”

“Uncle Peter!” She threw back her head and roared and Peter felt a rush of something force itself into his body. He could do nothing but stand there as a power he had never imagined coursed through him. Jennifer’s head lowered and he watched as the red light in her eyes flickered and ebbed before disappearing. At the same moment, he felt his own eyes flare and he realised what Laura had done – she had given him the Alpha spark!

Her grip on him loosened, the weight of her body pulling him down as she fell to the ground.

“Laura – “ Once again, he felt the change happen, the presence of Jennifer taking over.

“This wasn’t how it was meant to be.” Her voice was weak, her skin pale in the moonlight. “I was meant to get my vengeance, get a chance to live again.”

“And killing Kali isn’t enough to help you rest?”  
  
“No. I deserve so much more.” She coughed weakly. “You realise you cannot kill me without killing your own niece? Are you up to that – even now?”

“He does not have to kill you. That is why I am here.” Peter looked up as Morrell stepped forward. 

“You – why would you – “

“This is not your time or your place. The balance must be maintained.” Morrell knelt next to them, placing her hands onto Laura’s shoulders. “Be at peace, Jennifer – you have gained vengeance on those that wronged you – do not become darker than you must.” Something passed between the two women, a glow beneath Morrell’s hands flowing into Jennifer/Laura’s body. She arched her back, a scream wrenched from her throat. Peter stumbled back as the glow engulfed both women, stumbling to land next to Stiles and his father. 

“What – “

He stared as Morrell climbed to her feet, the glow slowly leaving Laura’s body as she did so. 

“I have done all I can – what happens now is in Laura’s hand. Be aware that she has suffered much – I do not know if she will recover from all that has happened.”

“She’s alive?”

“She is. The druids owe you a debt still – this could have been a catastrophe with far-reaching effects and without the willingness of your pack, we would not have triumphed. The balance has been restored – we wish the Hale Pack peace.” Morrell seemed to melt into the darkness and even with his newly strengthened vision, Peter could not see where or how she went. Scrambling across the ground, he grabbed the body of his niece, relieved to feel that she was breathing and that the pack bond was still alive. 

He turned, looking around the clearing. Allison and Derek were with Chris who had come to and was trying to get to his feet; Scott was hugging his mother, who apart from coughing and being covered in dirt and earth seemed well; Stiles and his father were still on the ground holding each other. 

Within himself, he could feel the Alpha power reaching out to something. He realised that he could feel the Nemeton, that it was no longer grey and decaying. Before his eyes, dead bark, leaves and moss sloughed off the surface and he watched as atop the stump of the Nemeton, a green shoot appeared and began to grow.

* * *


	19. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An end and new beginnings...
> 
> * * *

“Will you be coming back?” Scott looked at Allison, trying desperately to understand. 

“I don’t know. Morrell has said that I can come back – when I’m ready. There’s just a lot to learn and I think it’s probably better that I do it this way. Dad has said he’ll tell me everything but – “

“But you want to find it all out for yourself.”

“I do. I’m sorry, Scott. I haven’t behaved very well in all of this – please know that this isn’t about you being a werewolf. I just – my family has done **so much** harm. Before I can take on any real role I need to find it all out – from a balanced perspective.” Allison put her hand on his arm, but before he could reach out to touch it, she pulled away again. “I don’t know how long this is going to take.”

“Right.”

“How’s your Mom?”

“She’s good – yeah, she’s fine. She was a bit shocked about the whole werewolf thing but she’s adjusting. And I know she’s spent some time with the Sheriff – I think they might be dating on the down-low.” He tried to smile but knew it was a pitiful effort. “Allison – why can’t you just – stay? Be here with me – I don’t understand – “

“Because we get too involved in each other – because I don’t want to be influenced one way or the other – because too much has happened.” She finally looked him in the eye and he flinched at her expression. “You betrayed us, Scott. You went behind our back and listened to Deaton and it could have cost lives. That’s really hard to forget – or forgive.”

“But – I was just trying to do the right thing – I was trying to save your Dad and my Mom and – “

“Yes, but even when I thought they might be lying to us, I _tried_ to talk to the Hales – albeit at the end of a bow and arrow. I didn’t just go behind their back and – look, we’ve had this conversation so many times. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why you believed Deaton with this whole True Alpha thing – I don’t think I’m the only one who needs some time. I’m sorry – goodbye Scott.”

She touched his cheek briefly before turning away and climbing into her car. She didn’t look at him before driving away and Scott found himself thinking that despite everything she said, she wouldn’t be coming back.

* * *

Derek looked down at Chris’s sleeping face, a smile of contentment crossing his face. He felt a little guilty about how happy he was – Laura was still in the hospital, recovering slowly. She still hadn’t spoken about what happened – in many respects, she was in the same position that Peter had been in after the fire. The trauma seemed to have sent her deep into herself, and they were not sure if she would ever come back. He had lost his sister but he had gained so much.

Chris was everything Derek had ever wanted without realising it. He was strong, passionate, confident, kind – and above all, he wasn’t afraid of Derek’s werewolf nature. Their physical relationship was just as satisfying as every other aspect – Derek could let go and know that he couldn’t hurt Chris. And Chris, in return, seemed to be determined to teach Derek everything about pleasure that he could – their nights, and sometimes their days were spent learning each other’s limits. 

He was sorry for Chris that Allison had chosen to accept Morrell’s invitation to learn more about the supernatural, but he couldn’t deny that he felt freer – and safer – without her around. 

He had a strong Alpha, a new pack and family – he had everything. Sighing, he slid down the bed until he could lay his head onto Chris’s chest. Even in sleep, the other man shifted to allow Derek to get more comfortable, his strong arm coming around to pull Derek close.

* * *

Peter buried his face in Stiles’ neck, straining to get impossibly deeper. He felt the sharp nails that raked down his back, heard the cry of completion that Stiles let out as he was gripped impossibly tighter within Stiles’ body. Strong thighs squeezed his waist as he let himself go, swinging his hips powerfully back and forth as he drove himself into Stiles’ body. 

“Come, Peter – I want to feel you inside me – make me feel it!” It was impossible to deny Stiles’ request and Peter felt like his body was turning inside out as his orgasm swept through him. He lifted his head so that he could take Stiles’ mouth in a deep kiss, groaning at the instant response as their tongues rubbed against each other.

Eventually, he managed to tug himself reluctantly from Stiles’ grasp, falling to lie beside him on the bed. The coolness of the room made itself felt, and he twisted and pulled the sheet until he could cover both of them. Stiles curled into his chest, still panting slightly. 

“You know, at some point, you’re going to have to figure out somewhere to live. This hotel isn’t cheap.”

“I know where I’m going to live – where I want **us** to live.”

“Oh yeah? And where’s that?”

“I’m going to rebuild out in the preserve. I want to put up a memorial to the family but I want to be close – to our old Den, to the Nemeton.” He pressed a kiss to Stiles’ forehead. “Does that work for you? I know it’s out of town – far to travel for school – “

“Meh – the Jeep can cope with a few more miles. Besides, it closer to Community College than here – “

“Stiles – we’ve talked about this. You’re not settling for – “

“I’m not settling! The courses there are just as good as anywhere else for what I want to do! An Emissary does not need to study at Stanford to do good by his Pack.”

“And who says I want you to be my Emissary – HEY!” Peter exclaimed as Stiles grabbed his dick in a threatening grip. “Okay, okay, yes – I want you to be my Emissary! But I promised your Dad that you would get every opportunity – I don’t want you to do anything that you don’t want to.”

“I **want** to stay close to my Pack – and learning about my lineage can be done here in Beacon Hills just as easily as anywhere else.”

Peter nodded, knowing that what they had found out about Stiles’ mother, Claudia, so far was just the tip of the iceberg. They knew that she had been a spark and that she seemed to have passed the power down to Stiles. But there was more to be learnt he was more than willing to use all of his contacts to help Stiles find out everything he could.

“Anyway, I like being close to my Dad. With the Nemeton growing every day, we need to be ready – one thing that Deaton didn’t lie about was that it’s a beacon to all things supernatural. I intend to be part of protecting our territory and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Well far be it from me to try to deter you – from the very beginning of all of this, I knew you were a determined young man. I just didn’t realise just how very important you were going to prove to be.”

“You’re just looking to get laid again!”

“I know – is it working?!” Rolling back on top of Stiles, he kissed the smile off his face as he pulled the sheets over their heads.

* * *

The Nemeton stretched out ever more new tendrils, at peace now that there was once again a true Hale Alpha lived safely within the territory.

* * *

fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was fun!
> 
> Thanks, as always, to my cheerleaders - devilscut, TummySassandAss, drudiedruid, spazlady2002, vafrous-vee, mulder200, drewrlove, blinc43 - all of you who take a chance when I start a new WiP!
> 
> I hope quarantine/lockdown is treating you kindly as we move into the new stages of this awful pandemic - stay safe, stay strong, be kind
> 
> Love you all  
> Skar  
> x
> 
> * * *


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